Former Energy Minister Halushchenko detained while attempting to cross border

While crossing the border today, February 15, the former energy minister was detained by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.

According to Ukrinform, the NABU reported this on Telegram.

“Today, while crossing the state border, NABU detectives detained the former energy minister in connection with the Midas case,” the report said.

NABU emphasized that preliminary investigative actions are ongoing and being carried out in accordance with the law and court sanctions.

The bureau promised to provide details later.

In a comment to Ukrinform, State Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko noted that border control measures at checkpoints are carried out by the State Border Guard Service in accordance with the law.

“I would like to note that border guards also carry out orders from authorized state bodies, which, in particular, may concern additional investigation of the existence of legal grounds for crossing the state border. The border agency does not have the right to disclose such information, only the initiators of such orders,” he said.

The media reports that this concerns former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Read also: NABU department head targeted with wiretapping attempts, Kryvonos says

As reported by Ukrinform, on November 10, NABU announced a special operation to expose corruption in the energy sector. The investigation established that members of a criminal organization had developed a large-scale scheme to influence strategic enterprises in the public sector, in particular Energoatom.

A well-informed source in law enforcement agencies reported that employees of the Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted searches at the home of businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio Tymur Mindich, as well as at the home of Minister of Justice Herman Halushchenko, who previously served as Minister of Energy.

The Ministry of Justice later confirmed that investigative actions had been carried out with Halushchenko's participation as part of criminal proceedings.

NABU stated that five of the seven suspects had been detained during the investigation. Among those involved are a businessman whom the investigation considers to be the leader of a criminal organization, a former advisor to the Minister of Energy, and the executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom.