NABU clarifies: Umerov is not a suspect in the Mindich case
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov is not a suspect or accused in the case of Timur Mindich, co-owner of "Quarter 95". Umerov was questioned by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as a witness.
This was reported by NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.
He is really being interrogated now. I cannot reveal any further details. He himself, his press service, confirmed that he is being interrogated. I can say that he is not currently a suspect or accused. I will refrain from any further comments, because this may harm the pre-trial investigation.
According to Klymenko, Umerov was interrogated as a witness, "which means he has the status of a witness at the moment."
On November 26, the National Security and Defense Council reported that Rustem Umerov was questioned by the NABU as a witness. He was summoned in a case related to possible "interference in the activities of a statesman" in the case of the so-called "back office", which, according to the investigation, could have been organized by businessman Timur Mindich.
At one of the court hearings in the energy corruption case, the prosecutor stated that Mindich tried to put pressure on Umerov during the period when he held the position of Minister of Defense.
Umerov previously called these claims "baseless." He explained that as defense minister, he regularly met with manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and weapons, including Mindich. At the meetings, they discussed issues related to the contract for body armor, which was later terminated due to "non-compliance of the products with the requirements."
As a reminder, NABU and SAPO conducted searches at the home of President Zelensky's former business partner and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, Timur Mindich, as well as at the home of Justice Minister Herman Galushchenko, who previously headed the Ministry of Energy.
The criminal organization built a scheme for systematically obtaining illegal benefits from counterparties of JSC NNEGC Energoatom in the amount of 10% to 15% of the value of contracts. The scheme involved, in particular, the former deputy head of the State Property Fund, who later became an advisor to the Minister of Energy, as well as a former law enforcement officer. In addition, NABU announced suspicion against former Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshov.
