Zelensky says Ukraine's energy and justice ministers must resign
According to Ukrinform, he said this in a video address posted on his Facebook page.
"I believe that the minister of justice and the minister of energy cannot remain in their positions. This is, among other things, a matter of trust. If there are accusations, they must be answered," Zelensky said.
He said that suspension from office was an operational and swift decision.
Zelensky added that he had asked Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to obtain resignation letters from both ministers and called on MPs to support these resignations.
"Everything else must be resolved in the legal domain. The National Security and Defense Council will also make a decision on sanctions based on a submission from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine," he said.
Zelensky stressed that "everyone in Ukraine is going through extremely difficult times – power outages, Russian strikes, losses." "It is absolutely unacceptable that there are still any [corrupt] schemes in the energy sector," he said.
He also announced that he would sign a decree imposing sanctions on two individuals involved in the NABU case concerning Energoatom.
On November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced a special operation to uncover corruption in the energy sector. Investigators found that members of a criminal organization had built an extensive scheme to exert influence over strategic state-owned enterprises, including Energoatom.
A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said that NABU officers had conducted searches at the premises of businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio Tymur Mindich, as well as at the residence of Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who previously served as energy minister.
On November 11, law enforcement officers detained five individuals and approved suspicion notices for seven in the energy-sector corruption case. Among them are a businessman who headed a criminal organization, a former adviser to the energy minister, Energoatom's executive director in charge of physical protection and security, and four employees of a "back office" involved in money laundering.
According to the Schemes investigative project, those charged include Tymur Mindich (who appears on the audio recordings of conversations between the case's suspects, released by NABU, under the name "Carlson"), former adviser to the energy minister Ihor Myroniuk ("Rocket"), Energoatom Executive Director for Security Dmytro Basov ("Tenor"), Oleksandr Tsukerman ("Sugarman"), Ihor Fursenko ("Rioshyk"), Lesia Ustymenko, and Liudmyla Zorina.
Five of the suspects have been detained, while Mindich and Tsukerman have fled Ukraine.
A draft resolution was registered in the Verkhovna Rada proposing Galushchenko's dismissal as justice minister.
On November 12, the government decided to suspend Galushchenko from duty, appointing Deputy Minister for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak as acting minister.
The High Anti-Corruption Court ordered pre-trial detention with the option of posting UAH 40 million bail for Energoatom's executive director for security, Dmytro Basov, who is accused of participating in a criminal organization that collected 10-15% kickbacks from company contractors.
The court also selected a measure of restraint in the form of detention with a UAH 126 million bail option for Ihor Myroniuk, a former adviser to the energy minister, who faces similar charges.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
