(MENAFN- UkrinForm) According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

The bureau reminded that NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) had exposed a criminal organization comprising current and former officials, a well-known businessman, and other individuals. The members established a large-scale corruption scheme influencing strategic state-owned enterprises, including JSC NNEGC 'Energoatom', to obtain unlawful benefits and launder money.

Currently, under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, NABU detectives have detained five individuals and issued suspicions to seven, including:

·a businessman – leader of the criminal organization;

·a former advisor to the Minister of Energy;

·the executive director for physical protection and security at JSC 'NNEGC 'Energoatom';

·four individuals – back-office 'employees' involved in laundering the funds.

Decisions on submitting motions to the court for preventive measures are underway.

NABU noted that the main activity of the criminal organization was systematically receiving illicit payments from 'Energoatom' contractors in the amount of 10% to 15% of the contract value

Contractors were pressured to pay kickbacks to avoid blocked payments for provided services or delivered products, or to prevent losing their supplier status. This practice became known as the“barrier” scheme.

To implement the scheme, the organization's leader involved a former Deputy Head of the State Property Fund, later an advisor to the Minister of Energy, and a former law enforcement officer who became executive director for physical protection and security of the company.

Using their official connections in the ministry and state company, they controlled personnel decisions, procurement processes, and financial flows.

In fact, the management of a strategic enterprise with an annual income of over UAH 200 billion was carried out not by state officials, but by third parties who had no formal authority, though took on the role of 'overseers' or 'shadow managers'.

The legalization of illegally obtained funds was handled by a separate office in central Kyiv.

The office belonged to the family of former MP and current Russian senator Andrii Derkach, who is accused by NABU and SAPO in another criminal case.

This office kept strict records of the funds received, maintained 'black accounting' and organized money laundering through a network of non-resident companies. A significant part of the operations, particularly the cash issuance, was carried out outside Ukraine.

For services provided to non-members of the organization, the office received payment as a percentage of the transferred amounts.

Overall, approximately USD 100 million passed through this so-called“laundering” operation during the documentation period.

The special operation to document the criminal organization's activities lasted more than 15 months, beginning in summer 2024. During this time, a large volume of data was collected, including thousands of hours of audio recordings.

The operation's final stage involved almost the entire staff of NABU detectives.

Over 70 searches were conducted in Kyiv and other regions under court orders, resulting in the seizure of a significant number of documents and cash.

NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors continue to identify other members of the criminal organization. The investigation is ongoing.

Read also: Justice Ministry confirms investigative actions involving Minister Galushchenko

As previously reported, on November 10, NABU announced a special operation exposing corruption in the energy sector. The investigation revealed that the criminal organization built a large-scale scheme to influence strategic state-owned enterprises, including 'Energoatom'.

An informed law enforcement source reported that NABU conducted searches at businessman and co-owner of 'Kvartal 95' Timur Mindich's premises, as well as at Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, who previously served as Minister of Energy.

A draft resolution has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada to dismiss Halushchenko from the position of Justice Minister.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that investigative actions involving Halushchenko were conducted within the framework of the criminal proceedings.

The Supervisory Board of NNEGC 'Energoatom' announced that it would convene a special session to assess the situation and determine actions regarding corruption allegations involving the company's employees.

Photo: NABU

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