Chain dismissals in Kyiv. The Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy, removed from their positions in a tense meeting
The Supreme Rada from Kyiv dismissed the ministers Gherman Galushchenko and Svitlana Grinciuk, in the context of a corruption scandal in the energy sector in which the Energoatom company is also involved.
Tense meeting in the parliament of Ukraine. PHOTO: video capture/archive
The Supreme Rada, the unicameral parliament of Ukraine, voted on Wednesday, November 19, with a two-thirds majority, to dismiss Gherman Galushchenko, former Minister of Energy and current Minister of Justice, and his successor, Svitlana Grinciuk. The measure comes following the escalation of the corruption scandal in the energy field, after information was leaked to the media regarding a bribery scheme at the Energoatom company and after intense political pressure in the Ukrainian parliament.
Before the vote, parliamentarians from the European Solidarity opposition group blocked the podium, demanding the resignation of the entire government led by Prime Minister Iulia Sviridenko. The situation eased only after Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kacika answered parliamentary questions, allowing the legislative procedure to continue, according to Agerprs.
Neither Gherman Galushchenko nor Svitlana Grinciuk were present at the entire meeting. Both had submitted their resignations a week ago at the request of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The political crisis was sparked last week after records emerged in the media that revealed discussions of multiple bribe payments inside Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear power plant operator, through which the Ukrainian state was defrauded of about $100 million.
As the scandal unfolded, businessman Timur Mindici, a close and former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left the country just hours before anti-corruption prosecutors raided his home.
Oleksi Cernîșov, former deputy prime minister and close to the president, is also involved in the scandal, and several government officials are, in turn, suspected of being involved in another bribery case, this time in the field of defense.
What Volodymyr Zelensky says
In the wake of the scandal, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a sweeping restructuring of the management of Ukraine's most important energy companies.
“Along with a full audit of the financial activities, a renewal of management must begin at these companies,” he wrote on Telegram on Saturday, explaining that he had agreed on next steps with Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, who had previously announced a “comprehensive audit” of all major state-owned companies in the context of the energy and defense scandals.
According to the head of the government, the audit will specifically target procurement transparency and financial control in strategic areas. She specifically mentioned companies such as Naftogaz and Ukrainian Railways.
