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Ukrainian authorities have detained a former energy minister as he tried to leave the country. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau announced that its detectives detained the former official as he was crossing the state border, as part of an investigation known as the “Midas” case.
The institution did not mention the name in the statement, but popular media in Ukraine reported that it was German Galushchenko. According to reports, he was detained while on a train leaving Ukraine. Authorities did not clarify his destination.
The investigation is related to an alleged scheme to embezzle around $100 million in the energy sector. Anti-corruption authorities accuse several individuals of organizing a mechanism to collect bribes from contractors of the state nuclear operator Energoatom, amounting to 10 to 15 percent of contracts. According to investigators, some of the funds were laundered and transferred abroad, including to Russia. Authorities also released photographs of the significant amounts of money seized.
Galushchenko headed the Energy Ministry for three years and briefly served as Justice Minister. He resigned in November after his name was implicated in the scandal. His successor at Energy, Svitlana Hrynchuk, also left office after being implicated in the affair.
Radio Free Europe reported that authorities were transporting the former minister to Kiev for questioning. Border guards had been instructed to notify the relevant structures in the event of an attempt to leave the territory.
The scandal has also affected several other public figures. Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was arrested in November on suspicion of illegal enrichment. Businessman Timur Mindich was named as a suspect, and media reported that he had fled the country.
The case has increased political pressure on the administration of President Volodymyr Zelensky. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned after authorities searched his apartment. Neither Zelensky nor Yermak face charges.
The extensive investigation, concluded after 15 months of work by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, comes at a time when Ukraine faces ongoing attacks on its energy infrastructure. The fight against corruption remains one of the key conditions for the country's progress towards European Union membership.
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