‘Midas’ Corruption Case : Ex-Ukraine Energy Minister Held in ‘Midas’ Graft Probe While Trying to Flee

‘Midas’ Corruption Case : A former Ukrainian energy minister was seized by anti-corruption authorities as he attempted to flee the country in connection with a major corruption investigation, CNN said on Sunday, citing sources.

According to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), detectives “detained the former minister of energy as part of the Midas case,” a wide investigation into alleged corruption in Ukraine’s energy industry that prompted substantial political upheaval last year, CNN reported.

NABU did not publicly identify the former minister and stated that preliminary investigations are being conducted in compliance with the law.

Full information for ‘Midas’ Corruption Case below

The “Midas” case is around claims of payments involving contractors tasked with protecting crucial energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested that both a serving and past energy minister resign as a result of the incident. Both people have previously denied any misconduct, CNN said.

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Investigators claim that around USD 100 million was syphoned off through state-owned firms, including Energoatom, which runs Ukraine’s nuclear power reactors. Authorities claim payments were given to contractors for activities intended at improving security at critical facilities.

CNN stated that NABU searched dozens of residences throughout the investigation.

Corruption charges have continued to plague Ukraine in recent years. Since 2023, NABU has launched several investigations into high-profile crimes. In January 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that it had discovered a large-scale corruption scam involving military weapons purchase of almost USD 40 million.

On Saturday , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reviewed the impending trilateral discussions in Geneva with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, indicating that Kyiv expects the peace talks to be “truly productive.”

According to the Russian news source TASS, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the trilateral discussions between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States would take place in Geneva on February 17 and 18.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the impact of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy supplies.

“During my discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio @SecRubio, I informed him on the situation on the ground, Russian strikes, and the consequences of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. We talked about how we could help Ukraine safeguard lives over the winter and increase its resilience. We also had an in-depth discussion regarding the diplomatic procedure and trilateral meetings.

It is critical that the Geneva discussions be productive, and I appreciate the United States’ positive approach. We also discussed the sequence of steps. It is critical to make progress on issues of security guarantees and economic recovery. I am grateful to the United States and every American heart for the tremendous assistance provided to Ukraine,” the Ukrainian President stated on X.