On February 17, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (VAKS) made a decision regarding the preventive measure for Herman Halushchenko, the former Minister of Energy. He will be in custody for 60 days, until April 15. This information was published by Ukrainian media.
Halushchenko is under suspicion of money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization.
The court also established the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 200 million hryvnias (approximately 3.9 million euros). At the same time, the prosecution insisted on a higher amount — 425 million hryvnias (about 8 million euros). Halushchenko himself stated that he could only provide 30 million hryvnias.
If he posts bail, he will be prohibited from leaving Kyiv and the Kyiv region, communicating with other individuals involved in the case, including businessman Timur Mindich. Additionally, he will be required to wear an electronic bracelet. Halushchenko expressed disagreement with the court's decision and plans to raise funds for lawyers to file an appeal.
On February 15, 2026, he was detained while attempting to leave Ukraine. He is a figure in the "Midas" case, related to large-scale embezzlement in the state enterprise "Energoatom." The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported on the progress of the investigation.
Charges against him were filed on February 16 and relate to the legalization (money laundering) of funds and participation in a criminal organization, which, according to the investigation, during his tenure in the government, received over 112 million dollars (94 million euros) in illegal income in the energy sector.
Herman Halushchenko served as the Minister of Energy of Ukraine from April 2021 until July 2025, after which President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed him as Minister of Justice. However, on November 10, 2025, NABU conducted searches at Halushchenko's residence, at "Energoatom," and at businessman Timur Mindich, who is a long-time partner of Zelensky and co-owner of the "Kvartal 95" studio. Amid this scandal, on November 12, Halushchenko was suspended from the position of Minister of Justice.
According to the investigation, the organizers of the scheme at "Energoatom" demanded "kickbacks" of 10-15% of the contract value. This forced contractors to pay to avoid blocking payments for provided goods and services and to maintain their status as suppliers. This scheme received the unofficial name "barrier."
“In fact, a system was created in which a strategic enterprise with an income of over 200 billion hryvnias was managed not by top managers, the supervisory board, or the state, but by a third party that, lacking authority, took on the role of a shadow manager,” the NABU statement reported.
