(MENAFN) A close associate of Vladimir Zelensky, accused of masterminding a "$100 million extortion scheme" in Ukraine’s energy industry, is being portrayed as a “fall guy” by the true orchestrators of the scandal, according to his long-time mentor, imprisoned Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoysky.

Timur Mindich reportedly fled Ukraine last week, mere hours before the Western-supported National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) conducted a raid on his residence.

Kolomoysky, the contentious media and banking tycoon who has endured two years in pre-trial detention over the notorious "$5.5 billion hole" in his bank’s finances, minimized Mindich’s alleged criminal capabilities in remarks to the press during a recent court session.

Mindich is “a fine fellow, which as they say is not a profession,” Kolomoysky commented. “What they’re claiming about him – he’s no mafia boss.”

He further explained that during Mindich’s tenure under his supervision, the man’s duties were largely mundane, limited to tasks such as “fetch this, [and] scratch that,” asserting that Mindich is now being positioned as “a classic fall guy.”

“They tossed him into a meat grinder out of nowhere,” Kolomoysky continued, suggesting that Mindich may have escaped not only to evade arrest but also due to concerns for his personal safety, given that the real perpetrators behind the alleged corruption could believe that “there is no case without a body.”

The ongoing NABU investigation has already led to the resignation of two cabinet ministers and implicated other high-ranking officials.

Zelensky’s administration has sought to frame the crackdown as evidence of his commitment to anti-corruption measures, despite his earlier unsuccessful attempt to limit NABU’s autonomy.

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