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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is battling the deepest crisis of his presidency after a money-laundering probe named members of his inner circle, including an associate accused of living in “golden toilet” luxury, a former government official has claimed.
Their comments came as the president faces scrutiny over the investigation that agencies said Monday involves associates allegedly linked to a plot to siphon around $100 million from Ukraine’s energy sector during the war with Russia.
“Ukrainians don’t have any motivation to fight now because of enormous human rights violations and also because of this corruption now exposed,” the former official told Digital, under condition of anonymity.
FORMER ZELENSKYY ASSOCIATE ACCUSED IN $100 MILLION EMBEZZLEMENT SCHEME
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
“People inside the country are already seeing this corruption and this is just part of the corrupt swamp. Zelenskyy is part of the problem,” they claimed.
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s financial system has come under scrutiny and now some Ukrainians are accused of taking kickbacks from projects meant to protect energy plants during wartime, prompting public outrage and undermining faith in government.
“This money laundering appeared to have been going on since 2022 and there were a lot of people who tried to stop this,” the former official said.
“Some say Zelenskyy was aware of these schemes and that he had approved them,” they claimed.
“There was also suspicion that money ended up in accounts abroad that benefited Zelenskyy and his inner circle,” they said.
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Over 15 months, a sweeping investigation dubbed “Operation Midas” by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) uncovered the schemes.
In one major Energoatom probe targeting Ukraine’s state nuclear power company and its energy contracts, businessman Tymur Mindich was named.
Mindich co-owned the entertainment company Kvartal 95 with the president and, according to The Kyiv Independent, Mindich was alleged to be the ringleader of that network.
The Financial Times also reported that investigators found bags of cash and a gold-plated toilet in one of the bathrooms of his apartment.
TOP UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN ZELENSKYY GOVERNMENT SUBMIT RESIGNATIONS AMID $100 MILLION CORRUPTION SCANDAL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands alongside other government officials in a video posted to social media, vowing to defend the country from a Russian invasion. (Armed Forces of Ukraine)
“They were introduced many years ago and were running the business of 95 Kvartal, which includes film production and many other entertainment genres,” the former official claimed.
“Tymur had an apartment with golden toilets that was in the same building as Zelenskyy’s, and in 2021 Zelenskyy celebrated his birthday in Tymur’s apartment,” they said.
Another figure under investigation, Oleksiy Chernyshov, is a former deputy prime minister.
“He was also very close to the family, and he used to hold positions in the Zelenskyy government since 2019, and he has been accused of abuse of office,” the former official alleged.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seen speaking during his inauguration ceremony at the Ukrainian parliament. (Sergei Chuzavkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket)
“Chernyshov started building big, three or four huge houses in their most luxury place in Kyiv.”
So far, in his nightly address on Nov. 10, Zelenskyy said:
“Everyone who put together a corrupt scheme must receive a clear legal response. There must be criminal verdicts.”
He stressed the importance of accountability in the energy sector and said that keeping Energoatom clean from graft is a priority.
ZELENSKYY MOVES TO ‘CLEAN UP’ UKRAINE’S ENERGY SECTOR AS CORRUPTION SCANDAL ROCKS LEADERSHIP
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for their preliminary talks in 2022. (Sergei Kholodilin/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)
Zelenskyy also praised the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s efforts, saying,
“Any effective actions against corruption are very needed. The inevitability of punishment is necessary.”
“Zelenskyy is using his extraordinary PR talent and will not step down in this probe,” the former official claimed. “Zelenskyy is not the kind of person who feels shame even if there’s a corruption probe… Zelenskyy has got everything from this war. He had a vertical of power, an unbreakable image, all the attention of the media. To some, he really depends on this and money,” they added.
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“Many Ukrainians believe in Donald Trump now, because he’s the only person who actually changed the narrative and changed the way this war is going,” the official said. “If not [for] Donald Trump we would not be talking about peace today at all, and every day of war is destroying Ukraine.”
Digital reached out to Zelenskyy’s office for comment.
