A former energy minister of Ukraine has been detained while attempting to leave the country, authorities said, in a major corruption case that has shaken the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, known as NABU, said on Sunday that its detectives detained the former minister while he was crossing the state border as part of the so-called Operation Midas investigation.
Although NABU did not officially name him, several Ukrainian media outlets identified the detainee as German Galushchenko, who was forced out of government last year after being linked to a high-profile corruption scandal.
According to reports, Galushchenko was apprehended while on a train leaving Ukraine. His intended destination remains unclear. He has since been taken to Kyiv for further questioning.
The former official was among several senior figures accused in November of involvement in an alleged $100 million embezzlement scheme in the energy sector. The case triggered political shockwaves and threatened to tarnish the administration of President Zelensky, who came to power pledging to eradicate corruption.
Galushchenko served as energy minister for three years and later briefly held the justice portfolio. He was asked to resign in November. His successor as energy minister, Svitlana Hrynchuk, also stepped down after being implicated in the same scandal.
NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation followed 15 months of probing alleged kickbacks in Ukraine’s energy sector, including at the state nuclear operator Energoatom. Investigators allege that bribes amounting to 10 to 15 percent of contract values were systematically collected, laundered and transferred abroad, including to Russia.
The scandal sparked public outrage as it emerged amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter. Authorities said further details on the detention would be released later.
Ukraine has long struggled with entrenched corruption, despite operating dedicated anti-graft bodies for over a decade. Tackling corruption remains a key condition for the country’s bid to join the European Union.
With inputs from BBC