Anti-corruption agencies in the country have adopted an unprecedented approach to expose a scandal that has touched the inner circle of President Volodymyr Zelensky. It seems they have hit the jackpot.
The videos were broadcasted on social networks almost like a series on a streaming platform. With moments of suspense, explosions, intrigues, and an appealing title: Operation Midas. Like in „Narcos” and „El Chapo.”
Except this was not a work of fiction, writes New York Times.
The main anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine released the clips over two days to unveil the biggest corruption scandal in Ukraine since the Russian troops invaded almost four years ago.
According to the statements launched by the agencies in these clips, President Volodymyr Zelensky's allies embezzled $100 million from the Ukrainian state nuclear giant Energoatom.
Teasers and Videos with a "Hook"
The first promotional materials for this unusual series appeared on social networks on November 10 at 10:10. The anti-corruption agencies posted photos of stacks of $100 bills and bags of Ukrainian banknotes, with hashtags #midas and #exposed. "More details later," the announcement mentioned.
Soon, the videos followed, every few hours. New characters appeared with names like Che Guevara, Rocket, and The Professor. After a clip with a dramatic ending, viewers were told to stay tuned for the next episode. "We will reveal their role in the next part," said Oleksandr Abakumov, the chief detective of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, at the end of one of the videos.
At the end of another episode, another "hook": "But more about him - in the next part."
"To be continued," is the ending of the last video, the fifth.
Prosecutors Worked Like in Hollywood
Obviously, anti-corruption investigations are not usually publicized. Even in the United States, where President Donald Trump is a showman, accusations are usually announced by a prosecutor dressed in a dark suit, in front of a lectern reading from a paper, and interesting details are omitted. Usually, announcements do not include videos culminating in explosions.
But, as this 15-month investigation kept many Ukrainians glued to their phones, it seems to have been a way for anti-corruption investigators to gain public support to prevent potential reprisals from law enforcement agencies loyal to President Zelensky.
Let's not forget that in July, while anti-corruption agencies were investigating the embezzlement scheme at the top of the state, Ukrainian intelligence officers searched the homes of prosecutors and arrested two of them.
The tension conveyed by the videos also seemed quite fitting for a country led by Volodymyr Zelensky, who became famous as an actor and whose chief of staff is a former film producer.
"It's like a Netflix series, isn't it?" said Volodymyr Kudritskyi, former head of the state-owned electricity distribution company. He had several altercations with Zelensky's administration, culminating in his arrest based on what anti-corruption activists call fabricated money laundering charges. Now Kudritskyi wears an ankle bracelet.
"Servant of the People" Takes a Step Back
The revelations have undermined the country's leadership, even as Ukrainian soldiers continue to resist against Russian troops.
Ukrainians following the news have been dismayed, as they suffer from power outages caused by Russian drones and missiles.
According to investigators, the criminal scheme involved bribes from money meant to be spent on shelters to protect nuclear facilities from Russian attacks.
Zelensky, who gained popularity by starring in a satirical series on Ukrainian corruption titled "Servant of the People," has distanced himself from the scandal and stated that anyone involved in government corruption must be held accountable.
What Appears in the Recordings
Investigators say they gathered over 1,000 hours of phone intercept recordings, with some excerpts presented in the videos. In these recordings, everyone uses a code name. Timur Mindich, an entertainment magnate, former business partner of Zelensky, is known as Karlsson, a cartoon character who lived on a rooftop. Ukrainians interpreted this code name as an allusion that Mindich was the "roof," the protector of the corruption scheme.
Oleksii Chernyshov, former deputy prime minister and friend of Zelensky, was known as Che Guevara. Former Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko appeared in the recordings under the name The Professor.
Chernyshov, who has been detained, claims he is innocent and that investigators released excerpts from recordings taken out of context. Mindich has fled the country.
Galushchenko, who was dismissed from his most recent post as Justice Minister by Parliament, has not been charged and denied any illegal actions.
Among the accomplices appearing in the recordings are lower-level officials with nicknames like Rocket and Tenor. There is also a guy with money named Sugarman, as well as an unidentified Georgian known as Khachapuri, the name of a national Georgian pastry dish made of a leavened bread filled with cheese.
Anti-Corruption Battle Becomes an Online Phenomenon
The anti-corruption agencies posted the first video on Telegram and YouTube exactly 90 minutes after the promotional materials appeared online. The episode started with a menacingly chorded song, followed by the appearance of detective Abakumov, who presented a series of excerpts from intercepted conversations between Rocket and Tenor.
Some excerpts didn't entirely make sense, but others did. On June 30, Mindich (or Karlsson), the group's leader, simply said, "I don't want to receive a notification that I'm a suspect," the Ukrainian equivalent of a criminal charge.
The video, less than two minutes long, ended with a montage of images of power plants, drones, power outages, and explosions.
This presentation style made everyone interested in the subject. Memes started circulating, including one with actor Bill Hader enthusiastically eating popcorn. The Ukrainian subtitles said that searches at government officials' homes were the talk of the day.
The videos generated other videos. An opposition parliamentarian who provided some evidence to anti-corruption investigators made his own videos on Telegram and YouTube. Journalists also joined in.
The productions of the anti-corruption agencies had dark twists. On September 25, as the country headed towards winter and power outages, Rocket and Tenor discussed how to increase commissions for protection shelters at a nuclear plant.
At other times, they discussed how to launder money and move it abroad, to Mauritius or Cyprus.
A Netflix Subscription Would Be Useless
The agencies' videos gained many followers but received negative feedback from some government supporters. After the first two videos aired, over 20 Telegram channels that usually support Zelensky began reposting an ironic message about the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). "Meanwhile, the Russians are already preparing to award NABU state prizes," the message said.
The series continued online, with references to "previous seasons," such as the scandal of millions of dollars diverted from military funds by a close friend and business partner of Zelensky.
"Given the investigations of our anti-corruption bodies, a Netflix subscription is a waste of money. Oh, what a mess!" wrote journalist Polina Litvinova on Facebook.
Following the events, there were twists. During a parliamentary session on Monday night regarding corruption accusations, a Member of Parliament said that Operation Midas must have been orchestrated by journalists because "they are the ones who do stupid things like this."
An anti-corruption detective replied: "And your name appears in the recordings."
The microphone fell. A long pause followed.
"The kind of pause that not even a narrator's voice from Netflix could save," wrote Ukrainian journalist Dana Iarova on Facebook.
T.D.