Ukrainian parliamentary inquiry commission summons national security chief after UP released Mindich tapes

Yevhen Kizilov - 29 April, 12:48

Rustem Umierov. Photo: Getty Images

A temporary investigative commission at the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) is summoning Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and Serhii Shefir, former first aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to testify on 13 May in the Midas corruption case.

Source: Oleksii Honcharenko, head of the commission and MP from the European Solidarity parliamentary faction, on social media

Quote: "I am summoning Serhii Shefir to a meeting of the temporary investigative commission on 13 May! This morning began for all of us with the release of new Mindich tapes by Ukrainska Pravda. One of the individuals featured in these tapes is Serhii Shefir. He visited Mindich at the much-talked-about flat at 9A Hrushevskoho Street. They discussed saving Zelenskyy's close associate, Oleksii Chernyshov, and that notorious bail paid from the group's kitty. I am summoning Shefir to give official testimony in this case."

Details: In a following post, Honcharenko said he is also summoning Rustem Umierov to the 13 May meeting.

Quote: "Yesterday Umierov said from the rostrum that there is no need to 'politicise' the case. Today we already have new tapes in which Mindich gives orders to Umierov when he was [Ukraine's] defence minister! Mr Umierov, no one is politicising anything here. We are trying to establish how it came about that, while you were leading a key ministry during the war, you met and spoke with Tymur Mindich. There are many questions. So come to the commission."

Background:

On the morning of 29 April, Ukrainska Pravda posted the first part of audio recordings obtained by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as part of the Midas investigation. The recordings were made in an apartment belonging to sanctioned businessman Tymur Mindich, who is suspected of corruption in the energy sector, and include conversations with several individuals, including Serhii Shefir, former first assistant to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, and a woman named Nataliia.
On 28 April, Umierov was summoned to report to the Verkhovna Rada on his links with Mindich and the Midas case. However, speaking from the parliamentary rostrum, Umierov said he had provided all answers concerning his appearance in the energy corruption case known as Midas to the relevant law enforcement agencies and does not intend to report further to MPs, saying he does "not want to politicise it".

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