The head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshnyy, publicly commented on the mention of his name in the so-called ‘Mindyich tapes,’ which relate to a high-profile investigation into corruption schemes in the energy sector. The mentioned recordings also reference the company Fire Point. According to the NBU chief, these materials contain no evidence of his involvement in illegal activities.
This is reported by Finway
Andriy Pyshnyy’s position on the published recordings
During a press briefing dedicated to the monetary policy of the National Bank, Andriy Pyshnyy stated that he was not involved in any schemes or agreements discussed in the ‘Mindyich tapes.’ He emphasized that he had never received any inquiries from businessman Timur Mindyich or former Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov regarding the financing of defense contracts for Fire Point.
“No, there were no inquiries, no communications, no interactions with those who mentioned my name: neither regarding the topic that was raised nor in any other context,” he said.
According to information from open sources, the recordings known as the ‘Mindyich tapes’ may have been made in Timur Mindyich’s apartment, who is suspected of corruption schemes. The conversations between Mindyich and Rustem Umerov discussed the allocation of budget funds for the purchase of products from Fire Point. The businessman was interested in whether Umerov had contacted the head of the NBU, to which he received a response that the latter was outside Ukraine. After that, Mindyich suggested “calling the state SensBank” and noted that a decision could be made at the level of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Context and details of the ‘Midas’ case
The conversations seized in the course of the ‘Midas’ investigation are currently under the scrutiny of anti-corruption agencies. The materials feature dialogues between Timur Mindyich and officials regarding financial support for defense projects. It is specifically emphasized that the company Fire Point, according to the conversations, required significant state funding.