"500 thousand for construction": Prosecutor Savitskyi revealed details of Chernyshov’s financing from office of relatives of traitor Derkach. VIDEO
In court, prosecutor Serhii Savitskyi presented detailed arguments regarding the origin and circumstances of former Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksii Chernyshov's receipt of funds which, according to the investigation, were transferred to him by representatives of a criminal organisation linked to relatives of Ukrainian traitor Andrii Derkach.
"How did you end up in the office of a criminal organisation?" the prosecutor asked Chernyshov.
According to Censor.NET, the prosecutor asked the suspect why he visited the premises on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, an office that, according to the investigation, belongs to Derkach's associates. According to the case file, it was there that Chernyshov, a category "A" official, received money from Oleksandr Tsukerman.
Talk of an "intellectual club" and opaque financial schemes
The prosecution points out that the version about the "intellectual club", within which the meetings allegedly took place, does not stand up to criticism. Instead, the wiretapped conversations feature requests for the transfer of funds and discussions in which Zuckerman agrees on the issue of issuing money with Tymur Mindich.
The prosecutor emphasised that the fragments of telephone conversations presented by the defence only confirm the conclusions of the investigation.
"We'll give 500 to the construction site." What kind of construction is this and where did the funds go?
The prosecutor paid particular attention to the episode involving the transfer of 500,000 US dollars, which, according to the participants in the conversation, was to be directed "to the construction site".
"What kind of construction is this? Where exactly is Chernyshov investing these funds? Have they been converted into other property? This needs to be investigated, but the fact that the money was acquired already indicates that a crime has been committed," the prosecutor emphasised.
He added that the further use of the funds could be classified under other articles, in particular regarding the legalisation of funds obtained by criminal means.
Continuation of the crime and conspiracy after release
The prosecutor noted that the transfer of funds continued even after Chernyshov was notified of the suspicion:
"Chernyshov did not stop. He received money in February, March, and May. The last 500,000 came through his wife, a month before the announcement of suspicion. And he did this using measures of conspiracy," says Savitskyi.
The investigation suggests that similar actions may have continued even in September, but there are no relevant records yet.
Who is "Che Guevara" and why is he important in this case?
A person nicknamed "Che Guevara" appears in the case files. In conversations between Tsuckerman and Fursenko, he is mentioned as a key participant in the process of approving the transfer of funds:
"It took a lot of effort to make you a priority. Thanks to the very wise Oleksii Mykhailovych, the helmsman," the prosecutor quoted.
He noted that although the identity of "Che Guevara" has not yet been officially established, the context indicates his important role in the scheme.
Prosecutor: isolated phrases from the defence do not refute the evidence
The prosecutor concluded that none of the excerpts from conversations provided by the defence change the overall picture:
"In my opinion, these materials do not refute any evidence, but only confirm the risks and the completed nature of the crime."
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.
