NABU and SAP have disclosed details of a large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector. Outsiders gained control over the procurement and financial flows of a company with an annual turnover of over UAH 200 billion. Suppliers were forced to give up 10–15% of the contract amount. Internally, this was called a “barrier” — an artificial obstacle that had to be overcome.
Key players:
▪️ “Кarlson” — organizer, businessman Timur Mindich (fled abroad a few hours before the searches)
▪️ “Rocket” — former advisor to Herman Halushchenko, Ihor Myroniuk
▪️ “Tenor” — former law enforcement officer Dmytro Basov (security director at Energoatom)
▪️ “Professor” — Herman Halushchenko, former Minister of Energy, Minister of Justice.
Using their access to the ministry and the company itself, they influenced key decisions: who would get the contract, who would be paid, who would be blocked, and who would be stripped of their supplier status altogether.
NABU has over 1,000 hours of recordings and has conducted over 70 searches. The tapes reveal discussions about “passing through” the “barrier” and the distribution of money among the participants.
The company was actually run by people who had no authority but took on the role of “overseers.”
A large portion of the recordings were made two weeks before the attempt to destroy the independence of NABU and SAPO in July.