NABU conducted searches in the office of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and the office of the head: what is known
20 November 20:54
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has conducted searches at the central office of the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control. This was reported by the sources of Ekonomichna Pravda, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the sources of the publication, the investigative actions took place last week and included a search of the office of the head of the department, Roman Isayenko.
According to the sources, a significant number of documents were seized during the searches. After that, Isayenko filed for a sick leave and is temporarily absent from his workplace.
The NABU has not yet provided details about the proceedings – the journalists have contacted the bureau for an official comment.
The State Service on Medicines is a regulatory body that controls the quality of medicines and issues licenses to pharmacies, so the searches attracted considerable attention from the pharmaceutical market.
According to preliminary data, they may be related to the investigation of businessman Timur Mindich. Sources suggest that one of the defendants in the case may be involved in the pharmaceutical sector.
Isayenko has been the focus of journalistic investigations before.
In February of this year, Bigus.Info reported that the private laboratory Dobrobut-Likilab began receiving large volumes of government orders for drug testing almost immediately after its registration.
According to the journalists, the founders of the laboratory are connected to the entourage of the head of the State Service on Medicines and an SBU officer working in the field of regulation.
Earlier this week, detectives also searched the home of Vitaliy Brovko, the new security director ofNaftogaz, indicating that pressure on officials in key state industries is increasing.
What is known about the corruption scandal at Energoatom
“Operation Midas”
The NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) together with the SAPO (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office) launched a large-scale investigation of the energy sector codenamed “Operation Midas” .
The case involves a corruption scheme at the state nuclear company NNEGC Energoatom, through which contractors, according to the investigation, systematically paid kickbacks of 10-15% of the value of contracts.
The investigation lasted 15 months, and investigators collected over 1,000 hours of audio recordings.
Who is under suspicion
Seven people have already been notified of suspicion. Among them are a businessman whom NABU calls the “head of a criminal organization,” a former adviser to the Minister of Energy, the executive director of security at Energoatom, and four back-office employees who allegedly legalized the funds.
According to law enforcement, the alleged key organizer of the scheme is Timur Mindich, a businessman associated with Kvartal 95.
A former advisor to the Minister of Energy is also implicated.
According to the investigation, the scheme consisted of Energoatom’s contractors agreeing to pay kickbacks to avoid blocking payments or losing their supplier status.
The money was allegedly legalized through a back office controlled by the criminal group.
The investigation uses pseudonyms: the audio recordings mention “Tenor,” “Professor” and “Carlson” as participants in the scheme.
Energoatom’s response
Energoatom states that “the incident that occurred” did not harm the financial condition of the company and did not affect production plans or the safety of the nuclear power plant.
At the same time, the company’s supervisory board convened an extraordinary meeting to initiate an independent audit of internal control systems.
Political and international implications
The European Union has already reacted: G7 ambassadors have called for a transparent and independent investigation.
The EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called the corruption scandal “extremely regrettable,” emphasizing that it is a matter of trust and the effectiveness of public administration.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that transparency at Energoatom is a priority, and those responsible must be brought to justice.
The government has already started the reform: top officials are reportedly being dismissed, a full audit of the state-owned company and a new supervisory board are being prepared.
“Energoatom is a strategic enterprise: it is a state-owned nuclear energy operator. Corruption here can undermine both the financial stability and energy security of the country.
The scheme opened up channels for kickbacks at a time when government contracts are extremely critical.
