A new corruption scandal in Kyiv. Anti-corruption prosecutors accuse parliamentarians of taking bribes in exchange for votes in the Supreme Rada

The anti-corruption agency of Ukraine (NABU) accused several deputies on Saturday of accepting bribes in exchange for their votes in the parliament and tried to search government offices in Kyiv, reports AFP, taken by Agerpres.

NABU reported on the Telegram messaging app that it “discovered an organized criminal group, including current members of parliament” who were “systematically receiving illegal benefits to vote in the Rada”, the Ukrainian legislature.

Investigators tried to search the headquarters of the parliamentary commissions in Kyiv, but were prevented from doing so by security forces, NABU added.

This new corruption scandal was revealed immediately after the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States, where he is to meet with his American counterpart Donald Trump to discuss the peace plan with Russia, AFP recalls.

The corruption scandal comes less than two months after leaked media records of bribery conversations involving state nuclear power plant operator Energoatom sparked a political crisis in the country, now in its fourth year of war with Russia. According to the investigation, 100 million dollars in state funds were defrauded through this corruption scheme.

Timur Mindici, a close and former business partner of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, fled the country as the scandal deepened and hours before his home was raided by anti-corruption prosecutors.

Oleksi Cernîșov, a former deputy prime minister also close to the president, is also under suspicion of corruption. Other government officials are also allegedly involved in a bribery scandal in the defense sector.

Zelenski announced a restructuring of the management of the country's most important energy companies. “Along with a full audit of financial activities, a management renewal must begin at these companies,” he wrote on Telegram on Saturday.