NABU reveals details of corruption scheme in Energoatom: Kickbacks were at 10-15%

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced the exposure of a corruption scheme in the energy sector. The main activity of the criminal organization was the systematic receipt of unlawful benefits from Energoatom's contractors amounting to 10-15% of contract values.

NABU stated this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

According to the post, Energoatom's contractors were forced to pay kickbacks to avoid blocked payments for delivered goods or services, or to keep their supplier status. This practice was known as the "barrier."

To implement the scheme, the leader of the criminal organization involved a former deputy head of the State Property Fund, who later became an adviser to the minister of energy, and a former law enforcement officer who served as Energoatom's executive director for physical protection and security.

"Using their official connections in the ministry and the state company, they maintained control over personnel decisions, procurement processes, and financial flows," NABU stated.

In practice, the management of this strategic enterprise, with an annual income of over UAH 200 billion, was carried out not by official executives but by outside individuals who had no formal authority, yet assumed the role of overseers, the bureau said.

Earlier, on November 10, NABU reported that it was conducting a special operation to expose corruption in the energy sector.

According to the bureau, members of the criminal organization built a large-scale corruption network influencing strategic state-sector enterprises, including Energoatom.

As a knowledgeable law enforcement source told Ukrinform, NABU conducted searches at the premises of businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, Tymur Mindich, as well as at Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who previously served as minister of energy.

Photo: NABU