The Ukrainian government on Wednesday suspended Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko. The decision is related to an investigation into a large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector.

"This morning an extraordinary meeting of the government was held. A decision was made to suspend Herman Halushchenko from the post of justice minister," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on the social network X on Wednesday.

The cabinet entrusted the deputy minister for European integration, Lyudmila Suhakova, with the post.

In response, Halushchenko wrote on social network X that he fully agrees with the government's decision. According to him, a political decision should be taken first and only later the details should be dealt with.

"I don't hold on to the post of minister. I believe that suspension during the investigation is a civilised and correct scenario," he wrote, adding that he plans to defend himself against the charges.

"Tens of millions of euros have been 'laundered' from Enerhoatom

Halushchenko, who until recently headed the energy ministry, was reportedly caught on tapes of conversations with people suspected of involvement in corrupt activities. Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) intercepted his voice while communicating with suspects as part of an investigation into the state-owned firm Enerhoatom.

The investigative operation, codenamed Midas, revealed an effective bribe collection system.

Companies that wanted to become Enerhoatom's suppliers had to pay a commission of between 10 and 15 percent of the contract value. Companies that did not want to participate risked non-payment of invoices issued for work done.

The total amount of bribes collected in this way amounted to more than €90 million, according to NABU.

However, some MPs believe that the amount may be even higher, as the state-owned company Enerhoatom has carried out public tenders worth €2.4 billion over the past five years. If suspicions of 10 to 15 percent commissions are confirmed, the amount of theft could reach 230 to 276 million euros, the Kyiv Post reports.

Meanwhile, the media outlet adds, Ukrainians remain without electricity as a result of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, and companies are struggling to survive, buying generators at their own expense.

Zelensky's acquaintance has left Ukraine

The leader of the group is believed to be businessman Timur Mindich, known by his nickname "Karlson". Mindich was a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky and co-owner of the media company Kvartal 95, which Zelensky founded before becoming president.

When the NABU launched the operation, Mindich had left Ukraine just hours before the arrests.

Mindich's flight across the border sparked public outrage. Comments have been flooding in under Zelensky's social media posts, in which even high-ranking members of the military are now asking him where "Karlson-Mindich" has disappeared to, the Kyiv Post reports.

Investigators have identified a member of the corruption network operating under the nickname "Che Guevara", believed to be former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. The group handed him more than 1.2 million dollars and nearly a hundred thousand euros in cash. The bribes were also directed to his wife after "Che Guevara" became a suspect.

The investigation further revealed links to other high-ranking officials. The head of Ukraine's anti-corruption prosecutor's office said that Mindich had influence over the energy sector through Halushchenko and the defence ministry through Minister Rustem Umerov in 2025. The latter denies this.

"Any attempts to link my work at the defence ministry with the 'influence' of certain persons are baseless," Umerov said. He confirmed that he had met with Mindic in connection with a contract for the supply of bulletproof vests, but that the contract was terminated because the goods did not meet the required standards. He added that as minister he had regular meetings with manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and weapons, as well as with lobbyists and other interested parties.

The case is not over yet

Under Operation Midas, the NABU-led police arrested five persons and charged seven others. The suspects are a businessman who was alleged to be the head of the corruption network, a former advisor to the energy minister and the director of security at Enerhoatom. However, the investigation is still ongoing and the number may increase.

Although Halushchenko was dismissed as energy minister in July 2025, sources say he still retains influence over the energy sector through his entrenchment in key positions and his relationship with the current minister, Svitlana Hrynchuk.

NABU has since promised to release further videos of the investigation.

(ukrainskapravda, reuters, sie, est, kyiv post)