Ukraine was rocked by a huge scandal in November. The investigation, codenamed Midas, uncovered a scheme involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes at the state-owned nuclear company Energoatom. High-ranking officials and people close to President Volodymyr Zelensky are involved in the case.
Findings (ICJK) in cooperation with the Kyiv editorial office of the Radio Freedom Scheme now show that the tentacles of this octopus reach as far as Slovakia.
The trail leads to Slovakia
After 15 months of investigation, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) uncovered a system in which officials and middlemen collected “tithes” from Energoatom’s suppliers(10-15%) of the contract value.
According to the investigators, around 100 million dollars (approx. 85 million euros) were “laundered” through offshore structures.
Eight people are already facing charges. Key figures include Igor Myroniuk, a former adviser to the Minister of Energy, and entrepreneur Timur Mindich, co-owner of Zelensky’s production company Kvartal 95. They left a significant mark on Slovakia.
The head of the scheme did business in Bratislava
According to the ICJK, Timur Mindich, whom the authorities identify as the organizer of the scheme, started doing business in Slovakia ten years ago:
- In 2016, he established a business in Bratislava’s Nové Mesto.
- A year later, he joined the company TIM&TIM, s.r.o. (originally Blackrock Consulting).
- His companion was another actor in the case – Ukrainian Igor Khmelov (nickname “Shmel” – bumblebee).
The company TIM&TIM, which is engaged in wholesale and market research, had a turnover of over 4 million euros in 2019. In the spring of this year, Mindich withdrew from the company under unclear circumstances, and Khmelov remained the sole owner.
Khmelov also figures in another Slovak group Lamačská Brána, which owns a dilapidated family house in Bratislava. Together with his wife, he also owns an apartment in Marianka near Stupava. Reporters did not find anyone on the spot, although a car with a Ukrainian license plate was parked in front of the house.
Advisor to the minister and his Slovak background
Another key suspect, Igor Myroniuk, was supposed to function as a “shadow manager” of Energoatom, although he did not officially work at the company, according to investigators. He also has ties to Slovakia:
- He is a partner and manager of UKRCI s.r.o
- Since 2014, his son has owned an apartment in the luxury complex Three Towers in Bratislava.
- His ex-wife bought a terraced house near Bratislava in the summer of 2023 and is listed as the owner of the company Management alternative technologies s.r.o.
Ukrainian prosecutors feared that Myroniuk would flee to Slovakia, where his family has a background and a residence permit. The investigation showed that the family received cash from Ukraine and deposited it in Slovak bank accounts.
Line Cyprus – Slovakia
The most serious finding is the suspicion that Slovakia served as a transit country for money laundering.
According to the investigators of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), they are working with the version that part of the bribes were legalized by transferring them to the accounts of companies in the EU. Money from Energoatom was supposed to be “spilled” through a network of planted companies. One of the verified financial routes is the Cyprus – Slovakia route.
The investigators claim that Myroniuk, together with Energoatom’s security director Dmytro Basov, established offshore companies (including in Slovakia), which subsequently obtained lucrative state contracts.
The Slovak police has not yet registered an official request for help from Ukraine. The General Prosecutor’s Office referred to official secrecy and the ongoing investigation in Ukraine.
