Kyiv [Ukraine], November 14: Ukraine's energy and justice ministers have resigned in the wake of a major investigation into corruption in the country's energy sector.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko's removal on Wednesday.
On Monday, anti-corruption bodies accused several people of orchestrating an embezzlement scheme in the energy sector worth about $100mn, including at the national nuclear operator Enerhoatom.
Some of those implicated in the scandal are - or have been - close associates of Zelensky's.
The allegation is that Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and other key ministers and officials received payments from contractors building fortifications against Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Among those alleged to be involved are former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and Timur Mindich - a businessman and a co-owner of Zelensky's former TV studio Kvartal95. He has since reportedly fled the country.
Halushchenko said he would defend himself against the accusations, while Grynchuk said on social media: "Within the scope of my professional activities, there were no violations of the law."
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sap) said the investigation, which was 15 months in the making and involved 1,000 hours of audio recordings, uncovered the participation of several members of the Ukrainian government.
According to Nabu, the people involved systematically collected kickbacks from Enerhoatom contractors worth between 10% and 15% of contract values.
The anti-corruption bodies also said the huge sums had been laundered in the scheme and published photographs of bags full of cash. The funds were then transferred outside Ukraine, including to Russia, Nabu said.
Prosecutors alleged that the scheme's proceeds were laundered through an office in Kiev linked to the family of former Ukrainian lawmaker and current Russian senator Andriy Derkach.
Nabu has been releasing new snippets of its investigation and wiretaps every day and on Tuesday, it promised more would come.
The scandal is unfolding against the backdrop of escalating Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, including substations that supply electricity to nuclear power plants.
Source: Qatar Tribune
