- Halushchenko says will legally defend himself, suspension during probe 'civilized and correct scenario'

ISTANBUL 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday called for the resignation of two key Cabinet ministers amid a $100 million corruption probe into the country's energy sector. The same day they were both sidelined, with the energy minister announcing her resignation letter and the justice minister suspended from duty.

"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," Zelenskyy said in an evening video address.

Zelenskyy added that he asked Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to ensure that both officials submit their resignations, also asking lawmakers: "I ask the MPs to support these resignations. From that point on, everything must proceed within the legal framework.”

Zelenskyy also announced a "cleansing and reset" of national nuclear energy provider Energoatom’s management, adding that he will later sign a decree to impose sanctions on two individuals implicated in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) case concerning the firm. He gave no further details.  

Energy minister bows out, justice minister suspended

Soon after the announcement, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said on Facebook that she wrote a letter of resignation, going on to thank Zelenskyy for the "opportunity to work for the benefit of the state."

"There were no violations of the law within the framework of my professional activities … As for the speculations regarding my personal relationships, any speculation on this topic is inappropriate ... In the end, time will put everything in its place," she said.

Zelenskyy's announcement came soon after the government decided to suspend Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Making the move public on US social media company X, Svyrydenko added that Liudmyla Sugak, the deputy justice minister for European integration, has assumed the justice minister’s duties.

Halushchenko, who served as energy minister before assuming his current post in July, said agreed with the decision, adding that he will legally defend himself.

“I do not hold onto the position of (justice) minister and will not hold on. I believe that suspension (of my duties) for the duration of the investigation is a civilized and correct scenario,” he said on Facebook. He did not comment on Zelenskyy's remarks that he should step down.  

Corruption probe

On Monday Ukraine launched a "large-scale operation" into the energy sector to uncover graft involving what the National Anti-Corruption Bureau described as a "high-level criminal organization" seeking to influence strategic state enterprises, particularly Energoatom.

The bureau said its investigation involved 15 months of work and 1,000 hours of audio recordings, and that members of the “criminal organization” allegedly demanded illegal benefits to the tune of 10%-15% of a state contract value.

The bureau said on Tuesday that its detectives had detained five people and sent notes of suspicion to seven individuals under the ongoing investigation, adding that it had uncovered $100 million involved in the scheme.

The investigation comes just four months after Zelenskyy reinstated the independence of the country’s two major anti-corruption agencies.

Zelenskyy had signed measures into law that brought the bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office under the oversight of the prosecutor general. He reversed the measures, however, after major protests, including in the capital Kyiv.

A crackdown on corruption is critical if Ukraine hopes to advance its application to join the 27-member European Union, which formally opened accession negotiations with Kyiv in June 2024.

Critics say Kyiv has long suffered from widespread corruption, and the ongoing war with Russia is said to have overshadowed efforts to stamp out graft.