ISTANBUL

A Ukrainian minister was accused Tuesday by the national anti-corruption body of taking control of state land worth 291 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($7.4 million).

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on Telegram that the unnamed minister, whom it also described as the “former chairman of the agrarian committee” in parliament.

It said a group led by the minister ensured the destruction of documents showing two state-owned enterprises in the northeastern Sumy region had the right to permanently use the land in question.

Ownership of the lands was then transferred to “pre-determined” individuals “under the guise of realizing their right to free land,” it said, indicating that 1,250 land plots of an area of 2,493 hectares (6,160 acres) were expropriated during the scheme which took place from 2017-2021.

“They also attempted to seize 3,282 hectares of land worth about 190 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($4.8 million), but they were prevented by NABU detectives and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) prosecutors, who conducted searches and seized the plots,” it said, adding that four people, including the minister, were given official notices of suspicion.

Ukrainian media reported the minister in question to be Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Solskyi, who commented that the events in question date to the period when he was a lawyer, not a government official.

“The seven-year-old circumstances concern a dispute between state-owned enterprises and natural persons … over land that was given to the latter in possession in accordance with the law,” Solskyi said in a statement by the ministry on Telegram.

“For my part, I guarantee maximum openness to establish the truth, but there is no need for this either: all data are open to law enforcement officers, and the evidence and arguments of the parties are under consideration by the courts,” he said.

Since January 2023, several Ukrainian officials have been dismissed or resigned as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched a broad anti-corruption campaign.

A crackdown on corruption is critical if Ukraine hopes to advance its application to join the 27-member EU, which decided to open accession talks with Kyiv in December last year.

Critics say Ukraine has long suffered from widespread corruption, but Russia's “special military operation” is said to have overshadowed the government's efforts to stamp out graft.