Corruption scandal poses biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since February 2022 - AP
Pressure is mounting on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take decisive action to demonstrate accountability in connection with the corruption scandal, which poses the greatest threat to his government since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
This was reported by the Associated Press, according to Censor.NET.
Details
The publication notes that last week Zelenskyy initiated the dismissal of two high-ranking officials and imposed sanctions against his close allies after investigators found that $100 million had been embezzled from the country's energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors.
But that did not calm the political storm. After more than three years of war, in which Ukrainians regularly face power cuts due to Russian shelling, corruption in the energy sector is unpopular with the public.
There are growing calls for Zelenskyy to remove his long-time chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, whom many consider to be Ukraine's de facto vice president," the authors note.
Journalists write that investigators have not accused either Zelenskyy or Yermak of any wrongdoing. However, opponents of the president and his entourage fear that the scandal could weaken their parliamentary coalition.
According to them, in order to restore public confidence, it is necessary to bring more senior officials to justice.
Zelenskyy's critics say it is also important to strengthen trust in Ukraine among Western partners, whose support is vital for military efforts and, ultimately, for negotiations to end the conflict.
Two officials from the President's Office stated that Zelenskyy had not made any decision to dismiss Yermak.
Journalists note that Yermak is trying to strengthen his support in the government.
Mindichgate
- Earlier, Censor.NET reported that NABU was conducting searches at Mindich's residence, who left Ukraine a few hours before the searches.
- As reported, on Tuesday, 4 November, searches were conducted in one of the branches of the separate divisions of NAEK Energoatom in connection with a corruption case.
- NABU is also conducting searches at the home of former Energy Minister Halushchenko and at Energoatom.
- NABU and SAPO announced a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector.
- The current Minister of Energy, Svitlana Hrynychuk, appears in NABU recordings as part of the investigation into corruption in the energy sector.
- Subsequently, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed an office in central Kyiv belonging to the family of former MP and current Russian Senator Andrii Derkach. There, they kept "black accounts," recorded money, and organised money laundering.
- On 11 November, NABU released recordings featuring Minister Halushchenko and Mindich.
- Chernyshov has been notified of suspicion of illegal enrichment as part of Operation Midas.
- One of the suspects, Dmytro Basov, was remanded in custody with bail set at 40 million hryvnia.
- Halushchenko's former adviser Myroniuk was remanded in custody with bail set at UAH 126 million.
- The Cabinet of Ministers submitted proposals to the National Security and Defence Council to impose personal sanctions on Timur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman following a NABU investigation into corruption in the energy sector.
- Earlier, Ihor Myronyuk and the executive director of security at Energoatom, Dmytro Basov, who appeared in NABU's videos under the nickname Tenor, were remanded in custody for 60 days.
- Another suspect, Lesya Ustymenko, was also remanded in custody for 60 days.
- The High Anti-Corruption Court chose a preventive measure for Ihor Fursenko (known as Ryoshik in NABU recordings), a suspect in a case of corruption in the energy sector.
- On 13 November, the High Anti-Corruption Court arrested Lyudmila Zorina, with bail set at 12 million hryvnia.
- Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Mindich and Zuckerman.
