The former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Bohdan, stated that the imposition of sanctions against him is related to his active involvement in the fight against corruption. According to him, the basis for the restrictions was allegedly the dissemination of the so-called “Mindyich tapes” among journalists.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Sanctions and Their Grounds
In his video address published on Facebook on May 5, Bohdan emphasized that for the first time in global practice, sanctions have been imposed not for corruption, but for opposing it. He claims that the legal restrictive measures against him are specifically related to the “Mindyich tapes” case.
“My quick investigation into the circumstances of the sanctions imposed against me showed that the sanctions were imposed due to the dissemination of the ‘Mindyich tapes’ among journalists… For the first time in world history, sanctions, punishment have been imposed not for corruption, but for fighting corruption, for opposing corruption. From a legal point of view, I received sanctions in the ‘Mindyich tapes’ case,” Bohdan stated.
He also announced the start of an independent legal investigation aimed at clarifying the circumstances of the sanctions’ imposition and holding accountable those involved in this decision.
Details of the Sanctions and Reaction
The sanctions against Bohdan and four other individuals were imposed by a decree from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on May 2. The document states that their actions threaten the national interests, security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Among the restrictions are the deprivation of state awards, asset blocking, suspension of trade operations, prohibition on participating in the privatization of state property, as well as other economic and legal measures. The duration of the sanctions is ten years, except for the deprivation of awards, which is indefinite.
Shortly before the document was made public, Andriy Bohdan expressed several versions of the reasons for such a decision on social media. Among them, he mentioned an attempt to distract public attention, a reaction to his criticism of the authorities, and possible involvement in the release of audio recordings featuring a voice resembling that of businessman Timur Mindyich.
Since April 29, media outlets have been publishing parts of conversations that, according to journalists, were recorded by NABU as part of the “Midas” case in Timur Mindyich’s apartment, who is suspected in a high-profile corruption case in the energy sector. He is believed by some politicians and experts to be the source of the leaked materials. However, the businessman’s lawyers denied his access to the recordings and characterized their dissemination as “information manipulation.”
Andriy Bohdan is a lawyer who was previously the personal attorney of Ihor Kolomoyskyi. In 2019, he advised Volodymyr Zelensky’s team on legal matters, and after Zelensky’s victory, he headed the Presidential Administration and later the newly established Office of the President. Bohdan held this position for less than a year, until February 2020, when he was succeeded by Andriy Yermak. After his dismissal, Bohdan repeatedly criticized the authorities, particularly regarding issues of combating corruption.
Journalistic investigations have also mentioned his involvement in negotiations with the Russian Federation in 2013 and the awarding of the title of “Honored Lawyer” for the return of a state-owned plant, which, however, remained in the ownership of oligarchs.