(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The head of the DBR's Internal Control Department, Bohdan Chobitok, stated this during his speech at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada's Temporary Investigative Commission on economic security, Ukrinform's correspondent reports.

"We immediately responded to the information announced by the prosecutor during the selection of a preventive measure for one of the suspects in the case. On the initiative of the DBR director, we collected materials and transferred them to the DBR's Main Investigative Department, and on November 14 we initiated two criminal proceedings regarding possible unlawful benefit by DBR employees, as well as possible abuse of authority or official powers. Certain investigative actions are planned, and there are certain lines of work we will follow. We will further report to the commission on this matter," he said.

Chobitok added that on Monday, November 17, the DBR's Internal Control Department sent a request to NABU seeking permission to carry out investigative actions regarding the individuals referred to as "M" and "B".

According to him, none of the DBR employees have been suspended from their duties at this time.

As Ukrinform reported, on November 10 NABU announced a special operation to expose corruption in the energy sector. According to the investigation, members of the criminal organization built a large-scale scheme to influence strategic enterprises in the state sector, including Energoatom.

Read also: Zelensky: beginning overhaul of key state-owned enterprises in energy sector

The main activity of the criminal organization was the systematic receipt of unlawful benefits from contractors of NNEGC Energoatom. The amount of this unlawful benefit ranged from 10% to 15% of the value of contracts.

Anti-corruption bureau employees conducted searches at the home of businessman and co-owner of Kvartal 95 studio, Tymur Mindich, as well as at the home of Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who previously served as Minister of Energy.

Later, the bureau noted that seven people are suspects in the case: a businessman whom the investigation considers the leader of the criminal organization, a former adviser to the Minister of Energy, the Executive Director for Physical Protection and Security of Energoatom, and four "employees" of a back office involved in money laundering. Five have been detained so far.

According to the Schemes investigative project, those charged include Tymur Mindich (who appears on the audio recordings of conversations between the case's suspects, released by NABU, under the name "Carlson"), former adviser to the energy minister Ihor Myroniuk ("Rocket"), Energoatom Executive Director for Security Dmytro Basov ("Tenor"), Oleksandr Tsukerman ("Sugarman"), Ihor Fursenko ("Rioshyk"), Lesia Ustymenko, and Liudmyla Zorina.

During a court hearing on preventive measures for one of the suspects, a prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office stated that in recorded conversations, members of the criminal organization discussed their contacts within the DBR and the possibility of influencing criminal proceedings through parliamentary inquiries.

On November 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted an NSDC decision imposing personal sanctions on Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman.

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