Anti-Corruption Case Takes New Turn
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), in coordination with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), has announced fresh charges against a former executive director of corporate security and physical protection. Identified in case files under the codename 'Tenor,' the suspect now faces accusations of laundering money through a scheme known as the 'barrier' method, which was uncovered last fall during Operation Midas.
Between 2023 and 2025, 'Tenor' allegedly laundered over 30 million Ukrainian hryvnias (approximately $1.1 million USD). The funds were used to purchase two luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicles worth more than 8 million hryvnias combined, as well as high-end real estate in Ukraine and on the Indonesian island of Bali, valued at over 19 million hryvnias in total. To conceal the illicit origin of the money, the former official reportedly used cryptocurrency and registered assets in the name of a close associate. He has been charged under Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers large-scale money laundering.
Final Phase of Operation Midas
The final stage of Operation Midas kicked off on November 10, 2025, with NABU and SAPO detectives conducting over 70 searches. As a result, seven individuals believed to be part of a criminal organization have been formally notified of suspicion. The list of suspects includes:
- Timur Mindich, known under the codename 'Carlson'
- Ihor Myroniuk, referred to as 'Rocket'
- Dmytro Basov, also known as 'Tenor'
- Oleksandr Tsukerman ('Sugarman')
- Ihor Fursenko ('Ryoshyk')
- Lesia Ustymenko
- Liudmyla Zorina
“The former executive director for physical protection and security of the company (identified in the investigation as 'Tenor') has been served a suspicion notice for money laundering of proceeds obtained through the criminal scheme known as the 'barrier'.” — Law enforcement officials
Investigators spent over a year gathering evidence, including thousands of hours of audio recordings, to build the case.
This case is part of a broader anti-corruption drive in Ukraine targeting financial and economic crimes. The charges against 'Tenor' and other alleged participants highlight ongoing systemic issues in the management of state resources and the persistence of corrupt schemes. The emergence of these new accusations also underscores the critical role of law enforcement in detecting and disrupting such criminal activities.
The ongoing investigations into corruption within Ukraine's public sectors continue to reveal significant financial misconduct. Recently, a similar case involving the deputy chief of the border guard has emerged, where assets valued at 11 million hryvnias led to serious allegations. This highlights the widespread nature of corruption and the efforts of authorities to address these issues. For more details on this related case, see how authorities are tackling corruption through asset seizures and charges against high-ranking officials in our coverage regarding the deputy border guard chief.