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Ukraine has detained one of its four deputy energy ministers and three other suspects in connection with a $500,000 bribery case, according to statements released by state prosecutors and anti-corruption police Monday.
https://twitter.com/nab_ukr/status/1822890947014770841
The arrests come as Ukraine intensifies its efforts to combat official corruption, a key requirement for the country's potential membership in the European Union.
The crackdown on graft is part of a broader wartime campaign to ensure transparency and accountability within the government, especially in critical sectors like energy, which has been severely impacted by Russian airstrikes since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office revealed the suspects were caught "red-handed" while receiving a $100,000 tranche of the total $500,000 bribe.
The bribe was allegedly demanded in exchange for facilitating the removal of mining equipment from a state-owned coal enterprise in the war-torn Donetsk region.
The equipment was to be relocated to the Lviv-Volyn basin coal enterprise in western Ukraine, where it would be authorized for operation at state-owned mines.
The group had already received $200,000 before being apprehended, according to the investigators.
While the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office did not name the deputy minister involved, the Ukrainian government swiftly announced the dismissal of Deputy Energy Minister Oleksandr Kheilo.
The energy ministry stated that German Galushchenko, the Energy Minister, played a crucial role in exposing the bribery scheme and immediately requested the Cabinet of Ministers to remove Kheilo from his position.
The deputy minister could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting.
Ukraine has been grappling with corruption for years, and the government is under increasing pressure to address these issues as part of its EU membership aspirations.
In April, the country's Agriculture Minister was also detained and subsequently sacked over allegations of involvement in an illegal acquisition of state-owned land valued at $7 million, which he denied.
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