Shylo's Tool in the BEB: How the Former Advisor to the President Prepared Files on Ukrainians.

According to ТСН: The investigation conducted by Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the deputy head of the Financial and Tax Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, notes that files containing classified information and data from closed registries, available only to law enforcement agencies, were found in Mindich's office. According to him, the structure of the documents and tables completely corresponds to the standards previously used by the analytical department of the BEB. The deputy also showed an electronic version of an analytical report from the BEB about himself, which turned out to be identical to the paper 'Mindich's folder' found by NABU detectives.

The video presented by Zheleznyak demonstrates that during the preparation of these materials, there was an 'external curator' in the Bureau, and he directly named Artem Shylo as the person who 'organized the work on preparing informational files on officials.'

About Artem Shylo

Artem Shylo is a former employee of the Security Service of Ukraine, who, after leaving the SBU, became an advisor in the President's Office and an important link between the security leadership and officials. In April 2024, Shylo was announced as a suspect by NABU and SAP in a case concerning the misappropriation of funds during procurements for Ukrzaliznytsia. Several former SBU employees and entrepreneurs associated with public procurement are also involved in this case. Shylo's case is currently being considered by the High Anti-Corruption Court.

After being announced as a suspect, Shylo left Ukraine. According to journalistic investigations, he is currently in the United Arab Emirates, where his family has significant assets. It turned out that his wife, Irina, purchased eight apartments and one hotel room in Dubai between 2021 and 2022, with a total value exceeding 4 million dollars. Part of the property was sold after the case was initiated in the VAKS.

Journalists found out that Shylo regularly traveled between the UAE, Georgia, and Europe, despite the criminal proceedings against him in Ukraine. This raised questions about the legitimacy of his departure and the availability of official permits.

Influence and Connections

During the period when, according to Zheleznyak, 'Mindich's folders' were prepared, Shylo had significant informal influence over the leadership of the BEB. The deputy director of the Bureau at that time was Vitaliy Hagach, a former SBU employee who worked with Shylo. According to sources, the BEB was under the influence of a group connected to Shylo, which gave him access to the analytical units responsible for creating the aforementioned files.

The tandem of Shylo and Hagach was also mentioned in attempts to exert pressure on banks, such as Aibox Bank and Concord Bank, which is seen as an effort to strengthen the positions of Sens Bank.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak emphasized that all the mentioned files were created before the reboot of the BEB, meaning they were handled by employees of the previous composition. He pointed out the poor quality of the analytical materials and errors that coincide with information from old BEB reports, particularly regarding his false 'career as a metallurgist at the Ilyich plant.' This helped him identify the authors of the documents.

The deputy stated that he would hand over all collected materials to the new leadership of the BEB and the attestation commission conducting the Bureau's cleansing.

Thus, cases related to Artem Shylo and his connections in the BEB draw attention to possible abuses in law enforcement agencies. Investigating further actions and the influence of such individuals on state institutions will be an important step towards restoring trust in anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine.