Media: Ukrainian top official orders security forces to prepare charges against SAPO chief

Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, instructed security forces under his influence to prepare charges against Oleksandr Klymenko, the Head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), following the publication of the first installments of NABU’s “Midas” corruption investigation.

According to Ukrainska Pravda sources in law enforcement, the President’s Office continued issuing directives to loyal agencies even after NABU made public its initial findings into alleged corruption involving figures close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Klymenko, speaking at a public conference, claimed that “Ali Baba holds meetings and assigns tasks to law enforcement agencies so that they pursue and continue to pursue NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors. This is not a normal situation.”

The comments came in the same week that the so-called “Mindich tapes” were released. According to anti-corruption agency sources, “Ali Baba” is not Yermak’s codename on those tapes but an internal operational nickname used by detectives and prosecutors. In political circles, Yermak is instead referred to by the initials of his first name and patronymic — AB.

At the end of the first week of the Midas operation, Zelenskyy reportedly convened a meeting with the heads of NABU and SAPO. However, a senior official familiar with the discussion said “the conversation did not go anywhere.” Law enforcement sources added that shortly after this meeting, Yermak again ordered security agencies to prepare charges against Klymenko.

Earlier reporting by Ukrainska Pravda indicated that several senior figures close to the president had advised Zelenskyy to dismiss Yermak amid fallout from the Midas investigation.

On November 10, NABU announced it had uncovered a large corruption scheme in Ukraine’s energy sector and published audio recordings of conversations among those allegedly involved. Before that announcement, NABU searched the homes of businessman Tymur Mindich and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko. Mindich reportedly left Ukraine just hours before the raids.

Three days later, on November 13, Zelenskyy approved National Security and Defence Council sanctions against Mindich — a co-owner of Quartal 95 Studio and longtime associate of the president — as well as businessman Oleksandr Tsukerman.

By Sabina Mammadli