The Ukrainian president, VolodÃmir Zelenskihas ratified the sanctions approved by the National Security Council of Ukraine against his former partner and owner of 50% of the production company that the current head of state founded during his time as an actor, businessman Timur Mindich.
The Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine (NABU) accuses Mindich, a fugitive from Justice, of being the ringleader of a plot in which at least two ministers participated that they would have used their position in the Government to force companies with contracts with the public atomic energy company to pay them bribes.
According to NABU, The network laundered at least 100 million dollars obtained by these means.
In addition to Mindich, Zelensky has also endorsed the sanctions approved by the National Security Council and that will be in force for three years against the person responsible for the businessman’s finances, Oleksandr Tsukerman. According to the Ukrainska Pravda media, the latter is also being investigated in the US for another case of money laundering.
Mindich left the country hours before NABU began raids on suspects in the investigation, which has been dubbed Operation Midas and has shaken Ukrainian public opinion due to the degree of closeness of some of those involved with Zelensky. Tsukerman also left Ukraine before the anti-corruption agency’s raids began.
The sanctions signed by Zelensky mean freezing of assets of the people against whom they are directed, who will also no longer be able to do business in Ukraine.
The Ministers of Energy and Justice, Svitlana Grinchuk y Herman Galushchenkohave presented their resignation, which must now be approved by Parliament, due to their responsibility in the case.
Galushchenko was Minister of Energy when the events occurred and is being investigated as a participant in the plot. Grinchuk will leave the Government as his department is responsible for the company Energoatom that was used to set up the plot.
The head of the opposition, Petro Poroshenkoagainst whom Zelensky has also issued sanctions during this war, has called for the resignation of the Government en bloc and the entry of the opposition into a new Executive.