Ukraine's justice and energy ministers resign amid ongoing corruption probe
Ukraine's Minister of Justice Herman Halushchenko and Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk have submitted their resignations following revelations of a major corruption probe, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced.
Earlier on Wednesday Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the resignation of the country’s justice and energy ministers, saying "they cannot stay in office”.
“It is a matter of trust”, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, adding, “If there are accusations, they must be answered.”
“The decision to remove them from office is an operational one, the quickest possible. I have asked the prime minister of Ukraine to request these ministers' resignations," he explained.
"I ask the members of the Verkhovna Rada to support these requests. Everything else must be decided in the legal sphere.”
Meanwhile, Svyrydenko also said that the government initiated the sanctions procedure against Oleksandr Tsukerman and Zelenskyy's former business partner and close associate Timur Mindich.
Zelenskyy is expected to sign the sanctions into force following the council's approval.
Halushchenko first served as Ukraine’s energy minister since 2021 and was then appointed justice minister this July. He is now being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as part of a large-scale corruption scheme involving Energoatom.
Earlier, Halushchenko said he supports the government’s initial decision to suspend him, adding that he had a conversation with the prime minister.
"I fully agree: a political decision needs to be made first, and only then should we deal with all the details," he said on Facebook.
“I am not clinging to the position of minister and will not cling to it. I believe that suspension during the investigation is a civilized and proper course of action. I will defend myself in the legal domain and prove my position.”
Earlier, the Ukrainian government also announced its decision to dissolve Energoatom's supervisory board.
NABU probe continues
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau charged eight people with bribery, abuse of office and illicit enrichment.
It also published tapes where the group, using code names and encrypted language, discussed alleged kickbacks and bribes.
According to NABU, the main organiser of the alleged corruption scheme is believed to be Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He is the co-owner of Kvartal 95, a production company founded and formerly part-owned by the president of Ukraine.
Anti-corruption prosecutor Serhiy Savytskyi said at a court hearing on Tuesday that Mindich allegedly committed a crime by unlawfully influencing Halushchenko.
NABU said the investigation lasted for 15 months and resulted in 1,000 hours of wiretapping and 70 raids.
Halushchenko is also featured in the NABU tapes.