Former Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko has been detained while attempting to leave the country, anti-corruption authorities said on Sunday.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said its detectives detained the former minister “while crossing the state border” as part of the Midas case, a wide-ranging investigation into alleged corruption in the energy sector. The agency did not specify which border crossing was involved.
The agency did not name him in its statement.
Galushchenko served as energy minister for three years before resigning in November amid the fallout from the scandal. He had also briefly held the post of justice minister.
NABU said initial investigative actions were under way and that further details would be released in due course.
The Midas case centres on an alleged $100 million kickback scheme involving Ukraine’s energy sector, including the state nuclear operator Energoatom. Investigators allege that several officials and business figures orchestrated a system in which contractors allegedly paid between 10% and 15% of contract values as kickbacks.
At the time of resignation, Galushchenko did not initially respond to requests for comment regarding his involvement in the alleged energy kickback scheme.
Anti-corruption bodies said the funds were laundered and transferred outside Ukraine, including to Russia. Photographs of large amounts of seized cash were previously published as part of the investigation.
The probe, conducted jointly by NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, followed 15 months of investigation and triggered a political crisis last year.
Galushchenko has previously said he would defend himself against the accusations.
The scandal led to the resignation of two energy ministers and prompted the resignation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, after his home was searched. Neither Zelenskyy nor Yermak have been accused of wrongdoing.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was arrested in November on suspicion of illicit enrichment, having already been charged with abuse of office.
Businessman Timur Mindich, a co-owner of Zelenskyy’s former television studio Kvartal 95, was also named as a suspect and reportedly left the country.
The allegations caused particular domestic outrage because they involved Ukraine’s energy sector at a time when Russia was intensifying attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
Combating corruption remains a central requirement for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union. Authorities said further updates on the detention would follow.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled o...
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, accordin...
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washin...
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as onli...
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment