Police open probe into illegal surveillance of journalists in "Mindichgate" case

Kyiv’s Solomianskyi District Police Department has opened criminal proceedings over possible illegal surveillance of a number of journalists by figures in NABU’s Midas operation.

The National Police said this in response to an inquiry from Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, an MP and head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Censor.NET reports.

Investigation launched

Figures in the "Mindichgate" case collected information on Maryna Ansiforova, Yurii Butusov, Stanislav Rechynskyi, Volodymyr Fedorin, Olha Chaika, Yurii Nikolov, Andrii Kulykov, and even the late Volodymyr Mostovyi and Oleksa Shalaiskyi.

"Opening the proceedings is the only right response by law enforcement. I’m keeping my finger on the pulse. More to come," Yurchyshyn added.

Background

It was previously reported that Timur Mindich, co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, compiled more than 500 "dossiers" on NABU detectives, MPs, ministers, and journalists.
Among the 10 journalists on whom Timur Mindich, co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, illegally compiled dossiers was Yurii Butusov, a platoon commander with the 13th National Guard Brigade "Khartiia."

Mindichgate

Earlier, Censor.NET reported that NABU was conducting searches at Mindich's residence, who left Ukraine a few hours before the searches.
As reported, on Tuesday, 4 November, searches were conducted in one of the branches of the separate divisions of NNEGC "Energoatom" in connection with a corruption case.
The NABU is also conducting searches at the home of former Energy Minister Halushchenko and at "Energoatom".
The NABU and the SAPO announced a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector.
Current Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk appears on recordings obtained by NABU as part of its investigation into corruption in the energy sector.
Later, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau uncovered an office in central Kyiv belonging to the family of former MP and current Russian senator Andrii Derkach, where a "black ledger" was kept, cash was tracked, and money-laundering operations were organized.
On 11 November, NABU released recordings featuring Minister Halushchenko and Mindich.
Chernyshova has been served with a notice of suspicion of illicit enrichment under Operation "Midas."
One of the suspects, Dmytro Basov, was remanded in custody with bail set at UAH 40 million.
Halushchenko's former adviser Myroniuk was remanded in custody with bail set at UAH 126 million.
The Cabinet of Ministers has submitted proposals to the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose personal sanctions against Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman following an NABU investigation into corruption in the energy sector.
Earlier, Ihor Myroniuk and Energoatom’s executive director for security, Dmytro Basov, featured on the NABU tapes under the alias "Tenor", were remanded in custody for 60 days.
Another suspect, Lesia Ustymenko, was also placed in pre-trial detention for 60 days.
The High Anti-Corruption Court has ruled on a preventive measure for Ihor Fursenko, a suspect in an energy-sector corruption case (known on the NABU tapes as "Roshyk").
On 13 November, the High Anti-Corruption Court arrested Liudmyla Zorina, with bail set at 12 million hryvnia.
Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Mindich and Tsukerman.