Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired two ministers amid growing public discontent related to corruptionin energy sector.
Zelenskiy has said justice minister Herman Halushchenko and energy minister Svitlana Grynchuk could no longer remain in their jobs. Posting on Facebook, Halushchenko denied any wrongdoing “in her professional activities,” while also expressing her gratitude to Zelenskiy and the government for being able to serve in successive roles over the past 10 years.
Seven people, including Zelenkiy’s friend and former business partner Timur Mindich, face charges as part of a corruption probe launched by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Nabu, on November 11. The corruption case proves to be a major challenge for the government. Addressing the public outrage of the corruption scheme, Zelenskiy said: There must be maximum integrity in the energy sector, in absolutely all processes. I support every investigation carried out by law enforcement and anti-corruption officials. This is an absolutely clear and consistent position for everyone.”
Zelenskiy said it was unacceptable to have a corruption scheme in energy sector while the country was enduring power outages, Russian strikes and losses.
The high-profile corruption case follows a 15-month investigation by Nabu into Energoatom nuclear state energy company. The chief suspect, Mindich, is a businessman who co-founded Kvartal 95, Zelenskiy’s media production company. Chief suspect in the case, Tymur Mindich, who was close to Zelenskiy, reportedly fled abroad before investigators arrived in his Kyiv apartment.
