Verkhovna Rada dismisses Galushchenko from post of Minister of Justice
A total of 323 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the corresponding draft resolution, Ukrinform’s correspondent reports.
Neither Minister of Justice German Galushchenko, nor Minister of Energy Svitlana Grynchuk, nor Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko appeared at the session to report to Parliament, which caused indignation among Members of Parliament.
According to Ruslan Stefanchuk, Spokesperson of the Verkhovna Rada, all the aforementioned officials had been informed about the session and the dismissal procedure.
The draft resolution of the Verkhovna Rada on Galushchenko’s dismissal was presented by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka.
“The submission regarding the dismissal of German Valeriiovych Galushchenko from the post of Minister of Justice has been put forward for your consideration… The reason for the Prime Minister’s submission on his dismissal is, undoubtedly, the public outcry connected with the ongoing investigations,” the official noted.
After the decision was adopted, Stefanchuk immediately signed the corresponding resolution.
As reported by Ukrinform, on November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine announced a special operation aimed at exposing corruption in the energy sector. The investigation revealed that members of a criminal organization had devised a comprehensive scheme to exert influence over strategic state-sector enterprises, including NNEGC Energoatom.
Anti-corruption bureau staff conducted searches at the home of businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 Studio Tymur Mindich, as well as at the home of Minister of Justice German Galushchenko, who previously served as Minister of Energy.
On November 11, as part of the investigation into corruption in the energy sector, law enforcement officers detained five individuals and notified seven persons of suspicion. These individuals include a businessman, the head of the criminal organization; a former adviser to the Minister of Energy; the Executive Director for Physical Protection and Security of NNEGC Energoatom; and four individuals working in a back office responsible for laundering funds.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Minister of Justice Galushchenko and Minister of Energy Grynchuk must resign. Svyrydenko submitted a motion to the Verkhovna Rada for the dismissal of the two ministers.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy supported German Galushchenko’s resignation from the position of Minister of Justice.
Photo: Radio Liberty
