Head of ILI Tetiana Khutor spoke on Ukrainian Radio about corruption schemes in the energy sector
Former Minister of Energy and Justice Herman Halushchenko is suspected under two articles – money laundering of funds obtained through criminal means and participation in an organized criminal group. This was stated by the Head of the Institute of Legislative Ideas, Tetiana Khutor, on Ukrainian Radio.
“It was he and his relatives who acted as beneficiaries of companies that became part of a large trust. Through it, funds obtained from corruption schemes in Ukraine’s energy sector were effectively legalized. The money was transferred and refinanced, ending up in this international foreign trust, and thus was intended to acquire legal status. After being transferred, the funds could be used in foreign jurisdictions – to pay for education, rent housing, and cover other expenses,” the expert explained.
She added that Halushchenko held senior positions in a Ukrainian energy company through which the corruption schemes were implemented, and later became Minister of Energy and Minister of Justice. According to preliminary information, at various stages he may have facilitated the functioning of this system.
“In fact, in his official positions Halushchenko facilitated the implementation of this corruption scheme. He was involved at different stages, not just one. Based on the information currently publicly available, he is a sufficiently significant figure in terms of implementing this corruption scheme and in proving the guilt and involvement of many other actors in this crime,” Tetiana Khutor noted.
The Head of ILI emphasized that the trust fund had been established before the full-scale invasion and prior to Halushchenko’s appointment to ministerial posts. This may indicate that the scheme had been prepared in advance and that tools for legalizing the funds were being sought from the very beginning.
“This corruption scheme was prepared, implemented, and mechanisms were sought for how the obtained funds would be legalized. It should also be understood that Halushchenko should not be considered the main figure in this case, as it would be too ambitious to carry out operations of such масшa scale alone. In my view, this scheme was implemented by many other high-ranking officials in Ukraine,” Tetiana Khutor said.
She also noted that investigators are paying particular attention to the role of Halushchenko’s family members, including former wives and children, who were listed as ultimate beneficial owners of companies within the structure. According to publicly available data, part of the funds may have accumulated in accounts linked to the family.
“Members of his family, including former wives and children, were listed as ultimate beneficiaries of companies within this structure, through which funds were transferred or intended to be transferred to the trust fund. They were effectively used to channel and legalize the money, although they were not purely nominal persons. The family also received part of these funds, and although the exact amount is currently unknown, we are talking about sums in the millions,” the Head of ILI stated.