The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, held a meeting with the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine, Julie Davis, during which particular attention was paid to the issue of combating corruption. According to Yermak, both sides expressed a shared position on the necessity of an objective and professional investigation into the most high-profile cases to ensure real results and to prevent the use of such cases to destabilize the situation in Ukraine in favor of the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“We specifically focused on the issue of fighting corruption. We expressed our mutual confidence that the investigations into the recent high-profile cases must be thorough, professional, and impartial, leading to real results, rather than being used to destabilize the situation in Ukraine in favor of Russia’s plans.”
Outcomes of the Meeting and U.S. Reaction
During the discussion, Yermak also emphasized the importance of joint efforts to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The meeting addressed the recent massive missile strike from Russia and the consequences of the aggressor’s ongoing attempts to destroy Ukraine’s energy sector. Yermak expressed gratitude to the U.S. government and people for their support, particularly for the sanctions against the Russian oil industry, which he stated are crucial for deterring the aggressor.
Investigation of Large-Scale Corruption and Suspects in the Case
On November 10, detectives from the NABU conducted searches at several key figures in the corruption case, including businessman and co-founder of the “Kvartal-95” studio, Timur Mindich, as well as former Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, who was soon temporarily suspended from his duties as Minister of Justice. According to NABU, the criminal organization was engaged in the systematic receipt of illegal benefits from contractors of the state company “Energoatom” amounting to 10 to 15% of the contract value. These funds were laundered through a specialized back office in the center of Kyiv, through which, according to the investigation, about 100 million dollars passed.
Mindich, who, according to law enforcement sources, left Ukraine the day before the searches, has not yet commented on the situation. Eight individuals have already been charged in the case: these include businessmen, former officials, and employees of the mentioned back office, among them Oleksandr Tsukerman, Ihor Myroniuk, Dmytro Basov, Ihor Fursenko, Lesia Ustyimenko, and Liudmyla Zorina. Five of the suspects are in custody with the possibility of posting bail. One of them, Oleksandr Tsukerman, stated that he intends to return to Ukraine and commented on the corruption charges.
Additionally, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine imposed sanctions against Tsukerman and Timur Mindich in connection with the investigation of this large-scale corruption case.