TRANSCRIPT
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the removal of Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers amid a wide-reaching corruption scandal involving the state nuclear power company.
"I believe that the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy cannot remain in office. This is, among other things, a matter of trust. If there are accusations, they must be addressed. The decision on suspension from office is prompt, as swift as possible. I have asked the Prime Minister of Ukraine to ensure that these ministers submit their resignations. I ask the MPs to support these resignations."
The announcement came after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency detained five people and identified seven other suspects in a major graft investigation involving alleged kickbacks worth around $100 million in the energy sector.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau did not identify the suspects but said they include a businessman believed to be the mastermind, a former adviser to the energy minister, and an executive with the power company Energoatom.
The agency also accused eight people of bribery, abuse of office and possession of disproportionate assets on Tuesday.
President Zelenskyy says the existence of any type of illegal schemes in country’s energy sector is “absolutely unacceptable.”
"Right now, it is extremely difficult for everyone in Ukraine – enduring power outages, Russian strikes, and losses. It is absolutely unacceptable that, amid all this, there are also some schemes in the energy sector. I will sign a decree to impose sanctions on two individuals implicated in the NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau) case concerning Energoatom (national atomic Energy company)."
Kyiv resident Dr Ohla Mylanevska says it's hard for the Ukrainian people to hear about this.
"There's a very unpleasant feeling of what awaits us. We do not understand. This is especially true for elderly people who live in apartment buildings and do not have the means to buy themselves any kind of power generators, can't even use simple oil radiators to keep themselves warm because they can't afford it. And so the people are really stressed."
Top government officials and associates close to Mr Zelenskyy are implicated in the scandal.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko says Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko would be suspended from his post, and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk has submitted her resignation.
Kyiv-based political analyst Oleh Saakian says this is a test of the effectiveness of Ukraine's law enforcement agencies.
"We are talking about a vertically integrated corruption scheme that concerns the energy sector. And maybe we will even learn about the defence sector. The only thing to note is that so far this is just gossip, it is a media war, and evidence must be provided in the court process. So let's see how effectively law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption agencies are able to do their job."
Zelenskyy was pressured to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-graft agencies last summer, overturning a short-lived law that would have undermined their independence and which provoked mass protests.
Mr Saakian says for Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, it's a battle for survival.
And he says it is important for Ukraine to be seen to be capable of fighting corruption if it is to be fully accepted as a democratic European state.
"Corruption exists in Germany, Italy, and many other countries. And we're demonstrating the image of a country that is capable of fighting corruption. This is what can begin to restore confidence in Ukrainian capabilities and, conversely, demonstrate that Ukraine clearly stands on the vector of European values and the construction of a democratic state based on the rule of law. Even though it is not yet such a state, Ukraine is on the frontlines defending the possibility of building just such a state."
