Some SBU employees pressured experts in the case of laundering UAH 460 million in luxury real estate near Kyiv.
This was stated by the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Semen Kryvonos at a briefing.
"In this money laundering case, there was alleged pressure on experts who were supposed to conduct the relevant examination. And this pressure, according to our version, could have been exerted by the SBU employees. Relevant reviews were made in the databases regarding these experts, some unknown person approached the expert and transmitted some signal regarding caution in this examination," he said.
Kryvonos noted that the bureau has already initiated criminal proceedings on these facts.
The head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office Oleksandr Klymenko emphasized the need to create an independent expert institution to prevent such pressure.
"Experts really encounter unknown people who send them signals like: ʼDonʼt think that this will end with the deprivation of the certificate.ʼ They threaten their relatives, send greetings, so they refuse to conduct these examinations," the head of SAPO added.
SBU has not yet commented on the information about the possible involvement of its employees in pressure on experts.
Money laundering case at a construction site near Kyiv
According to the investigation, in 2021-2025, the participants in the scheme were able to launder more than UAH 460 million through the construction of a cottage town in Kozyn (Kyiv region). This includes four private residences and a separate public spa area.
The investigation also believes that the projectʼs financing could have partly come from corruption schemes at NNEGC “Energoatom”, which are being investigated as part of the Midas case.
On May 11, NABU and SAPO reported suspicions to the former head of the Presidentʼs Office Andriy Yermak. The next day, May 12, suspicions were raised against six more defendants in the same case, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich.
Oleksiy Chernyshov and Tymur Mindich also appear in the “Energoatom” case. On the eve of the announcement of suspicion, Mindich left for Israel. Subsequently, NABU sent documents to put him on the Interpol wanted list. The Supreme Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Chernyshov to be held in custody with bail of UAH 120 million, which was paid in full.
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