News

Former Ukrainian Energy Minister Detained At Border, Charged With Money Laundering

Herman Halushchenko's detention, on alleged charges, is the latest event in an expanding corruption scandal that has dented President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's popularity.

Ukraine's former energy minister has been charged with money laundering a day after he was detained trying to leave the country.

The charges against Herman Halushchenko, announced on February 16, are the latest in a snowballing corruption scandal casting a shadow over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Several top ministers and other government officials have been sacked, including Zelenskyy's longtime confidant and chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.

Officials said Halushchenko was detained on February 15 by border guards as he was leaving the country by train.

SEE ALSO: From Army To Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Corruption Scandal Rocks Country

Investigators with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office -- one of two independent agencies charged with investigating high-level corruption -- said the new charges against Halushenko stemmed from an alleged scheme involving off-shore companies whose beneficiaries were his relatives.

Halushenko has made no comment on the charges. It was unclear exactly where he was being held as of February 16.

At the heart of the scandal is the issue of defenses for Ukraine's energy sector, which has been pummeled by Russia amid an unusually cold winter. Millions of Ukrainians have struggled with electricity and heating outages, and the corruption scandal has added to distrust of Zelenskyy's government.

SEE ALSO: New Year. Old War. New Team. Who’s Who In Zelenskyy’s Personnel Shuffle

Dubbed Operation Midas, the investigation has centered on Tymur Mindich, a co-owner of the Kvartal 95 comedy troupe that Zelenskyy also co-owned before he became president. The business was an important vehicle for Zelenskyy to gain popularity as a comedian and actor before entering politics.

Mindich reportedly fled the country after he was flagged as a suspect. His whereabouts are unknown.

Halushenko was forced to resign as justice minister in November as details of the scandal began to emerge.

SEE ALSO: Ukraine's Dog Winter: Grid Collapse, Russian Barrages, Hot Street Meals, Bitter Cold

Other government officials who have been sacked or charged in the schemes include former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, Halushenko's successor Svitlana Hrynchuk, and two other former energy ministers.

Yermak, who was one of Zelenskyy's closest aides, was also sacked, an indication of the political danger Zelenskyy faced. He was fired not long after his apartment and offices were searched by anti-corruption investigators in November.

He was replaced by the popular longtime chief of Ukraine's military intelligence, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov.

Zelenskyy has sought to clean up Ukraine's reputation for entrenched public sector corruption, an issue that has clouded Western military and economic aid to Kyiv over the course of the nearly four-year-old Russian invasion.