Two associates of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been implicated in a corruption scandal involving €86 million allegedly siphoned from wartime energy programmes. Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is investigating a pay-to-play scheme for procurement contracts at the state nuclear company, run by the energy ministry.
Businessman Tymur Mindich, a co-founder of Zelensky's entertainment company Kvartal 95 and a close friend, has been named as a suspect and is believed to have fled to Poland. Mindich is accused of being the ringleader of the scheme. The probe has been dubbed the 'golden toilet' scandal after a former official claimed Mindich had an apartment with golden toilets.
Another suspect is former deputy minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, described as 'very close' to Zelensky's family. He has been accused of abuse of office. Zelensky has not been accused of wrongdoing and has publicly supported the anti-corruption agencies, while also sanctioning Mindich.
The allegations have sparked public anger as Ukraine faces its fourth winter of war with widespread power cuts from Russian attacks. The country is under international pressure to tackle corruption as it seeks EU membership.
