On November 10, businessman Timur Mindich left Ukraine shortly before anti-corruption investigators searched his and his colleagues' private home and headquarters, according to Ukrainian media.
The operation was conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Administration of Ukraine (NABU) and is part of a large-scale corruption investigation conducted in coordination with the FBI - the US federal agency that investigates transnational crimes, including money laundering and financial crimes.
Timur Mindich may have been reported by a senior official at the specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecution Institute (SAPO). The official is believed to have access to the files of several sensitive cases handled by NABU.
Previously, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak confirmed that NABU had searched a series of locations related to Timur Mindich, including the private home of German Minister of Justice Galushchenko, a former energy minister who is considered Mindich's "in-hand" in the government, and the state-owned nuclear energy corporation Energoatom.
The NABU said it is investigating a high-level criminal organization operating in Ukraines energy sector, after more than 1,000 hours of monitoring and 15 months of covert investigation. The published images show a large amount of cash, including 100 USD bills, being carefully wrapped in nylon.
Timur Mindich, who worked in the entertainment industry before switching to business, is known to have a close relationship with President Zelensky. Ukrainian media reported that Mr. Zelensky celebrated his birthday at Timur Mindich's apartment in 2021 - this address was then monitored by NABU for many months, and appeared in recordings called "Mindich recording press".
The records are said to record many sensitive conversations between businessmen and senior officials, which appeared right before President Zelensky proposed limiting NABU's autonomy - a move criticized by Western countries as "weakening the independent monitoring mechanism".
Ukrainian media described Mindich as a "tycoon" with a profound influence in the Ukrainian energy and defense industry, and said he was being investigated by the FBI for money laundering through a propaganda company registered in the British Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky maintains the view that anti-corruption agencies have been inserted in Russia and should be placed under executive control. Russia has denied the allegations, saying NABU and SAPO are actually influenced by the West.
