With his space reduced to the extreme, Volodymyr Zelensky had no other choice, Wednesday 12 November, but to disavow two of his ministers himself. The decision comes following damaging information revealed by Ukrainian investigators in recent days regarding a system of corruption that is detrimental to the country’s energy sector. In a message published on his social networks, Volodymyr Zelensky called on former Energy Minister German Galushchenko, who was appointed to the court in July, and the person who replaced him, Svitlana Hryntchouk, to submit their resignations. The two signed it Wednesday night.
The President of Ukraine also announced sanctions against “people involved” in a case disclosed on Monday by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine (SAPO). The Ukrainian press quickly identified one of the individuals as Timur Mindich, a businessman close to the head of state and co-owner of the production company Kvartal 95. He is suspected by investigators of being the leader of a criminal network that allegedly embezzled 100 million dollars (86 million euros), by forcing subcontractors of the national nuclear company Energoatom to pay bribes to maintain their status as suppliers. On Monday, he mysteriously managed to leave the country hours before the start of a search by investigators.
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