Ukraine’s Deputy Energy Minister has been arrested on charges of corruption and bribery by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and the anti-corruption bureau (NABU), news outlet Ukrainska Pravda has reported.
Ukrainian authorities, who did not name the minister, have alleged that they had accepted a bribe of $500,000 (€457,850) and engaged in acts of conspiracy with three others — a private energy trader, the head of an energy company from Mykolaiv Oblast, and the head of a mining enterprise from the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian law enforcement officers reportedly detained the individuals after allegedly catching them “red-handed” while they were receiving bribes.
СБУ та НАБУ за сприяння Міністра енергетики України затримали його заступника на хабарі у пів мільйона доларів
➡️ https://t.co/uCgpAzo3Pt pic.twitter.com/iCC1wXrO6V
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) August 12, 2024
According to Ukrainian officials, the minister leveraged his position to offer State-owned mining equipment from the front-line Donetsk region to other State-owned enterprises.
“The official, using his powers, promised the heads of State-owned enterprises of the Lviv-Volyn coal basin to hand over mining equipment from the mines of the front-line region of Donetsk region without hindrance” authorities alleged.
All four individuals have been charged with bribery and could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
In a statement on its official website, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry confirmed its co-operation with law enforcement agencies, emphasising its commitment to rooting out corruption.
“Cleansing the energy industry of any forms of corruption is one of our top priorities,” it stated.
“The Ministry closely co-operates with the Security Service of Ukraine, NABU and other law enforcement agencies in order to completely eradicate corruption in the energy industry.”
Ukraine has been struggling with corruption issues since before Russia’s invasion in 2022.
In its pursuit of European Union membership, Kyiv has pledged to intensify its anti-corruption efforts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov in September 2023 citing the need for “new approaches” amid alleged corruption scandals within the military.
Reznikov is expected to leave his post in the first week of September amid rising pressure over new corruption allegations. https://t.co/nkWxFSDRGl
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 1, 2023
