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Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau said on Monday that it was conducting a large-scale investigation into the country’s energy sector, alleging kickbacks in transactions involving the state nuclear power operator, Energoatom.
The bureau, which operates independently of the government, alleged that several senior figures were involved. Ukrainian media identified one of them as Timur Mindich, a businessman and associate of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mindich reportedly fled abroad hours before investigators arrived at his Kyiv apartment to carry out a search. He is the co-owner of Kvartal 95, the media production company Zelenskyy founded before he became president.
The two were friends and business partners in the years before Zelenskyy went into politics. According to one source, there has been much less communication since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.
In a statement the national anti-corruption bureau (Nabu) said several individuals had formed a criminal gang and built “a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic enterprises in the public sector, in particular Energoatom”. It forced Energoatom’s counterparties to pay kickbacks of 10-15% in order to avoid having payments for services or goods blocked, or losing their supplier status, the bureau alleged.
Asked about Mindich, a senior official in Zelenskyy’s office said Ukraine’s government supported “all activities that stamped out corruption”. They said evidence collected by Nabu and other independent bodies should be tested in court.
The case highlights long-running tensions between the presidential administration and Ukraine’s two leading anti-corruption agencies. In July Zelenskyy approved a contentious bill that weakened the powers of Nabu and the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor’s office.
The move triggered the first serious protests against his government. Several thousand demonstrators gathered outside the president’s office in Kyiv. They waved banners and shouted slogans including “Shame” and “Veto the law”, after Ukraine’s parliament approved the measure.
Zelenskyy climbed down in the face of popular opposition and after fielding calls from European allies who raised concerns. New legislation was hastily passed to restore the agencies’ powers and it appeared to guarantee their independence.
Eradicating graft and shoring up the rule of law are key requirements for Kyiv to join the EU, which Ukrainians see as critical to their future as Russia’s war continues to rage.
Ukraine’s power system has been significantly damaged by a campaign of Kremlin bombardment this autumn, causing huge power cuts for people across the country. Russia has not hit nuclear plants but has damaged substations connected to them.
In an interview with the Guardian published on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Vladimir Putin was carrying out deliberate “terrorist acts” against civilians, leaving them without power and water. During the conversation in the presidential palace in Kyiv, the lights went off twice.
Reuters contributed to this report
