Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has announced that Ukrainian Justice Minister German Galushchenko has been dismissed in connection with an investigation into large-scale corruption in the country’s energy sector, writes “Politico.”
Svyrydenko’s statement said that an emergency government meeting was convened on the morning of the 12th of November and a decision was made to dismiss Galushchenko from his duties as minister. Ukraine is currently under investigation for large-scale illegal kickbacks and money laundering schemes, the amount of which is estimated at around 100 million dollars, and which involve high-level energy sector officials.
Ukrainian authorities have charged seven people in connection with the case, and public discontent has again flared up and increased attention is being paid to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s efforts to eradicate bribery.
Galushchenko was previously the Minister of Energy, and his property was reportedly searched by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) on November 10. The dismissed minister said on the 12th of November that he had spoken to Svyrydenko and fully agreed with the government’s decision.
He added that he believed the suspension for the duration of the investigation was the right and civilized course of action,
and that he would defend himself and prove his position.
NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) said on the 11th of November that the scheme also implicated a former deputy prime minister and that more than 1.2 million dollars in cash had been transferred.
The searches came two days after Russia carried out its largest-ever attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including nuclear power plants and electricity substations. As authorities try to restore power, long power outages continue, and Ukrainians are starting to question whether the infrastructure has been adequately protected from Russian attacks.
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