Ukraine confirms Midas corruption case suspects repeatedly visited Investigation Bureau

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) confirmed that suspects in the “Midas” anti-corruption operation repeatedly visited the Bureau’s building.

Bohdan Chobitok, Head of SBI’s Internal Control, said these visits were uncovered through a criminal case opened under Articles 365-368 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code to investigate SBI employees’ possible involvement in crimes linked to Energoatom, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

Investigators determined the purpose of the visits, topics discussed, and the people the suspects interacted with.

Dmytro Mirkovets, Head of the Main Investigation Department, added that 27 days ago, a case was opened to verify whether SBI staff received illicit benefits for providing information on ongoing investigations, including Energoatom-related cases.

More than 90 investigative actions have been conducted, including 47 witness interviews, 12 identifications by photos, forensic examinations, and dozens of court video reviews.

Employees even provided a work-related mobile correspondence with suspects.

SBI emphasised that pre-trial investigations are the main focus, all communication was work-related, and no staff have faced disciplinary action. The investigation into the “Midas” group visits continues.

Operation Midas is a 15-month-long investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) that uncovered a criminal network allegedly controlling procurement and contract flows at Energoatom, the state nuclear‑power company.

The network allegedly forced contractors to pay “kickbacks” equal to 10–15% of contract values to avoid payment blockades or losing supplier status.

The network reportedly included a businessman known under the codename “Karlson” (real name widely reported as Tymur Mindich), a former adviser to the Energy Minister, a senior security director at Energoatom, and a group of “back‑office” staff who handled money laundering.

According to publicly released audio recordings, members of the network discussed bribe schemes, contractor kickbacks, and using energy‑sector contracts — including for protective works at energy facilities — as a steady source of illicit profit.

Investigators estimate that around $100 million may have been laundered via this scheme, making it one of the largest corruption cases in Ukraine’s energy sector in recent years.

By Jeyhun Aghazada