During a special operation codenamed “Midas,” detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have identified the leader of a large-scale criminal organization – Timur Mindich – a figure known as “Karlson”.
According to investigators, Karlsson oversaw the operation of a sophisticated money-laundering network, informally referred to as a “laundry,” which was used to clean funds obtained through corruption.
Operating from an apartment on the upper floors of a residential building on Hrushevsky Street in central Kyiv, Karlson allegedly directed the distribution and transfer of illicit cash, while also coordinating efforts to influence senior government officials to serve his own business and political interests — particularly within the energy and defense sectors.
Wiretaps obtained by NABU detectives reveal Karlson managing financial flows, discussing the cover employment of trusted associates, and issuing instructions on “security” measures amid concerns that the anti-corruption bureau might be monitoring his activities.
According to NABU, the evidence points to the existence of a high-level organized criminal structure embedded within state institutions and energy enterprises. The operation “Midas” has already led to multiple searches and detentions in connection with kickback schemes at Energoatom, Ukraine’s largest nuclear energy producer.
Further details, including the identities of the involved officials and the scale of financial damage, are expected to be made public in the coming days.
And note the wording used by NABU: “Exerted influence to satisfy private interests in the energy and defense sectors.”
Tags: mindich nabu SAPO
