August 19, 2026 — The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), together with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), released extensive materials from a new investigation. Law enforcement officials revealed details of a criminal scheme aimed at laundering 150 million hryvnias. According to the investigation, these funds were used to post bail for one of the key defendants in the high-profile "Midas" case.
Details of the scheme: from "manual mode" to "laundromats"
The investigation has released recordings of conversations between the defendants, which detail the mechanism for bypassing financial monitoring. Members of the criminal group discussed the need to conduct payments in "manual mode" and use "fake documents" for the transit of funds. The recordings clearly outline the algorithm of actions: funds were divided into tranches, passed through controlled companies, and directed to a state-owned bank.
Special attention in the materials is paid to the role of the state bank, whose management, according to the prosecution, was involved in the scheme. The defendants discussed involving the bank in conducting operations so that the payment would go through automatically and avoid scrutiny. "I make a window in manual mode and release the money," states one of the participants in the conversation, a former People's Deputy. Another defendant notes: "The payment goes automatically... it bypasses financial monitoring."
Who is in the group: from the OP to the parliamentary faction
According to NABU, the criminal organization included high-ranking officials, including the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, former People's Deputies, as well as the Chairman of the Board and the Supervisory Board of the state bank. The recordings feature discussions about the need to form a "personnel reserve" in law enforcement agencies to protect the interests of the group.
"We must have a personnel reserve, we must. We must have such people, we don't have them," says the Deputy Head of the OP in the conversation. The participants of the scheme also discussed the possibility of gaining control over the bank and using controlled individuals in government agencies to launder criminal proceeds.
Chronology of transactions and the "Midas" case
The investigation reconstructed the chain of fund transfers, which were ultimately used to release a defendant in the "Midas" case from custody on June 29, 2026. The first tranche of 50 million hryvnias was delivered to the office of a former People's Deputy. The funds were distributed as follows: 15 million hryvnias went to a trusted person, and 35 million to a so-called "conversion center".
On the same day, another tranche of 10 million hryvnias was delivered. The next payment amounted to 70 million hryvnias: 20 million went to a trusted person, and 50 million were directed to the "laundromat". The final tranche of 20 million hryvnias was conducted according to a similar scheme. The sum of 150 million hryvnias became the bail, presumably for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, whose name is mentioned in the recordings.
Contradictory data
Although NABU officially confirmed the fact of the special operation and the exposure of the scheme, the names of specific defendants were not named in the press release. At the same time, various versions appeared in the political arena. People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak hinted that it could be about a current People's Deputy-developer. Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko announced searches at the Deputy Head of the OP, Iryna Mudra.
RBC-Ukraine, citing sources, reported on the possible involvement of People's Deputy Vadym Stolar and former People's Deputy Maksym Nikita. However, law enforcement agencies have not officially commented on the information regarding the involvement of these individuals, leaving the question open for further judicial proceedings.
