A person who said in court in February 2026 "I will sit in pretrial detention for years because I don't have such money," is now on the brink of being released on bail. Former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko's bail has already received 105 million hryvnias of the required 150 million — according to Schemes, citing sources in law enforcement.
Who is paying — and how
The most striking contribution is 46 million hryvnias from a legal entity with one employee and a charter capital of 5,000 hryvnias. That is, a company that legally has no assets for such operations is posting a third of a seven-figure bail for the former minister suspected of laundering over 400 million hryvnias.
This is not a technical detail — it is a question for the court and NABU: where did a micro-company get hundreds of millions? The origin of funds for bail is not formally verified as carefully as the assets of the suspect. This exact gap in procedure allows for the use of shell structures.
Chronology of the "Midas" case
According to the investigation, the scheme operated since December 2020, when Halushchenko held the position of vice president of Energoatom. The state company's counterparties paid 10–15% kickbacks on contract values — to guarantee supplier status and unimpeded payment processing.
"This is not bail — this is a sentence. I will sit in pretrial detention for years because I don't have such a sum, and neither does anyone in my circle."
Herman Halushchenko, February 2026, during an VAKS hearing
Four months after these words, a third of the bail is posted by a firm with capital smaller than a month's minimum wage.
Bail: from 425 million to 150 million
The SAP initially requested 425 million hryvnias. VAKS in February set it at 200 million. In June 2026, the court reduced the sum to 150 million hryvnias and continued detention until August 10. According to journalist Mykhailo Tkach, the funds may be contributed by businessman Vasyl Astion — a name that does not appear in any official case materials.
Parallel dimension: offshore accounts and children
A separate line of suspicion concerns an investment fund on the island of Anguilla, created in 2021 to attract approximately 100 million dollars. The structure included companies on the Marshall Islands, whose formal owners, according to the investigation, are Halushchenko's ex-wife and children. He himself explained this as "purchasing old houses in Switzerland for restoration."
- Arrest — February 15, 2026, during an attempted border crossing
- Suspicion — money laundering and participation in a criminal organization
- Bail conditions — electronic bracelet, surrender of foreign passport, prohibition from leaving Kyiv and the region
- Contributed — 105 million hryvnias out of 150 million
If the remaining 45 million is contributed by August 10, Halushchenko will be released — and the key question is no longer "who paid," but whether NABU will verify the origin of funds from the minimum-wage company before the court opens the doors of pretrial detention.
