Anti-corruption authorities identify Karlson as leader of corruption scheme in energy sector - NABU
During Operation Midas, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) identified the head of the criminal organization, Karlson, the NABU has said.
"This was the individual who controlled the work of the so-called 'laundromat,’ where funds obtained in a criminal way were laundered," NABU said on Telegram on Tuesday.
As noted, from an apartment on the upper floors of a building on Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv, Karlson determined to whom and how much cash to issue or transfer, and also coordinated influence on officials of central government bodies to resolve issues in his own interests, in particular, in the energy and defense sectors.
"In conversations recorded by detectives, he managed financial flows, discusses booking trusted persons through fictitious employment, gives instructions on "security" and shows awareness of the possible attention of the NABU," the message said.
NABU also published another part of the audio recordings from the investigation.
According to Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Holos faction), the pseudonym Karlson refers to businessman Tymur Mindich.
NABU has been developing Operation Midas since the summer of 2024 and has now entered its final stage.
As reported, among the participants of the large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector identified by NABU are, in particular, a member of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities, Serhiy Pushkar, businessman Tymur Mindich, former executive director for physical protection and security of Energoatom Dmytro Basov, and former advisor to the Minister of Energy Ihor Mironiuk.
Earlier, with reference to NABU, it was reported that the main direction of the criminal organization's activity was the systematic receipt of illegal benefits from Energoatom's counterparties in the amount of 10% to 15% of the value of contracts. In particular, Energoatom's counterparties were imposed conditions for paying a "kickback" for avoiding blocking payments for services provided/products delivered or deprivation of supplier status. This practice was called "slagbaum," NABU said on Monday. .
The head of the criminal organization involved in the implementation of the scheme the former deputy head of the State Property Fund, who later became an advisor to the Minister of Energy, as well as a former law enforcement officer who held the position of executive director for physical protection and security of the company. Using official connections in the ministry and the state-owned company, they ensured control over personnel decisions, procurement processes and the movement of financial flows.
In fact, the management of a strategic enterprise with an annual income of over UAH billion was carried out not by official officials, but by outsiders who did not have any formal powers, but took on the role of "watchers".
Anti-corruption authorities have made public some of the audio recordings as part of the investigation.
NABU notes that "15 months of work and 1,000 hours of audio recordings. The activities of a high-level criminal organization have been documented. Its participants built a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic state-sector enterprises, in particular Energoatom."