French media: Zelensky's confidant involved in major corruption case

According to a report by Agence France-Presse on November 11th, close associate of Ukrainian President Zelensky, Serhiy Shefir, was accused by Ukrainian investigative authorities on November 11th of orchestrating a large-scale corruption scheme involving around 100 million US dollars. The report stated that these accusations represent a turning point in the corruption scandal that has rocked the country's energy system, and also reflect the strengthening of integration within Ukraine's power structures. Shefir is one of the owners of the video company 95th Studio, which was established by Zelensky. A prosecutor from Ukraine's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office stated: "Shefir was responsible for the accumulation, distribution, and legalization of criminal funds in the Ukrainian energy sector." The suspect used his "special relationship with the Ukrainian president" to conceal his criminal activities. The current Minister of Justice in Ukraine, Herman Klyuev, previously served as Minister of Energy. He has also been charged by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office for receiving "personal benefits" from Shefir in order to help him control the flow of funds in the energy sector. The Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau has announced the dismantling of a money laundering scheme involving billions of US dollars, with 5 people being summoned and 7 facing charges. The bureau stated in a release: "Thousands of hours of recorded conversations have been obtained, providing evidence of high-level criminal organization involvement in the energy and defense industries."