NABU and SAP request arrest of former official Chernyshov: he received $1.2 million

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office have applied to the court for the detention of former Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov. According to media reports, the investigation established that Chernyshov visited a 'laundry' - a place where the legalization of criminal proceeds took place, controlled by the leader of a criminal organization uncovered by NABU and SAP earlier.

Investigators discovered the transfer of more than 1.2 million US dollars in cash and almost 100 thousand euros to the suspect and his trusted person. The criminal case is qualified under Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is not the first accusation against Chernyshov, as he is already involved in another case of abuse of office and receiving bribes.

Operation 'Midas' and its results

Chernyshov's case is part of Operation 'Midas', which NABU and SAP conducted for over 15 months. Detectives uncovered the activities of a criminal organization in the energy sector that demanded kickbacks of 10-15% from contract sums from counterparties of 'Energoatom'. Businessman Timur Mindich, co-owner of the 'Kvartal 95' studio and former business partner of President Zelensky, is considered the mastermind behind this scheme.

The scandal gained political dimensions when the president referred the issue of sanctions to the National Security and Defense Council, where three suspects in the case sit. After that, the ministers of justice and energy resigned. According to the investigation, five out of 12 individuals undergoing investigation have been detained.

NABU and SAP have filed a petition with the court for the detention of Oleksiy Chernyshov due to suspicion of involvement in the legalization of criminal proceeds and other corruption crimes. Chernyshov's case is just one of the subsequent revelations as part of Operation 'Midas', which has resonated at the political level and influenced the composition of the government.