Head of Ukraine's anti-corruption service denies probe into corruption case suspended due to political reasons

​​​​​​​By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - An investigation into a corruption scheme involving Ukraine's energy sector is ongoing and has not been frozen, Semyon Krivonos, the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said Tuesday.

Commenting on media reports that claimed the investigation was suspended for political reasons, Krivonos said at a meeting of the Ukrainian parliament -- Verkhovna Rada -- that he investigation continues without external influence.

"There is no pressure on us, there is no interference. We maintain our independence," said Krivonos.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), the Security Service of Ukraine and other anti-corruption agencies.

The case, dubbed "Operation Midas," was announced Nov. 10 by NABU and SAPO. It involves an alleged large-scale corruption and money laundering scheme in the energy sector, with investigators reporting at least $100 million in laundered funds.

Searches were conducted at the offices of businessman Timur Mindich, then-Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, and the state enterprise Energoatom.

NABU began publishing fragments of 1,000 hours of audio recordings from Mindich's apartment, which allegedly detail the corruption schemes.

On Nov. 11, NABU filed its first charges, naming Mindich as the alleged head of a criminal organization and implicating other high-profile figures. According to reports, Mindich left Ukraine for Israel hours before the searches were conducted.

Last week, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry put him on the wanted list.

A crackdown on corruption is critical if Ukraine hopes to advance its application to join the 27-member European Union, which formally opened accession negotiations with Kyiv in June 2024.

Critics have said Kyiv has long suffered from corruption, an issue overshadowed by the war with Russia.