Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities on Monday accused former energy minister German Galushchenko of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks in a high-profile corruption case that has shaken the wartime government, Reuters reported.

The accusation came a day after Galushchenko was detained while trying to leave the country, the news outlet said. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said he was detained on Sunday “while crossing the state border,” without specifying the location.

In a statement cited by Reuters, NABU said Galushchenko “was exposed for money laundering and participation in a criminal organization.” NABU alleged that more than $7 million had been transferred to foreign accounts naming Galushchenko’s wife and four children as beneficiaries.

Part of that sum was allegedly used for the children’s education at elite schools in Switzerland, with other funds placed in a deposit that generated additional income used for family expenses, according to the report.

Galushchenko, whose name can also be transliterated as “Herman Halushchenko,” served as energy minister from 2021 to 2025 and later briefly as justice minister before resigning amid the scandal last year. He is among the most senior officials detained in the so-called “Midas” case, which prosecutors have described as an alleged $100-million kickback scheme involving the state nuclear company Energoatom, according to the report.

The investigation has previously ensnared senior officials and members of Ukraine’s business elite, including a former close associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy from his pre-political media career, Reuters said.

Read more at Reuters