Efforts to Tame Corruption in Ukraine: Deputy Energy Minister Detained
Ukraine’s fight against corruption continues as the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a deputy energy minister accused of accepting a bribe of half a million dollars. The arrest was made in connection to a scheme involving the smuggling of mining equipment from the war-torn east of the country, with three alleged accomplices also taken into custody.
With aspirations to join the European Union, Ukraine is intensifying efforts to combat corruption among state officials. The arrested official, identified as Oleksandr Kheilo by opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, was responsible for securing vital energy equipment amid the conflict. He allegedly demanded bribes to relocate equipment from the eastern Donetsk region to a coal basin in western Ukraine.
The SBU revealed that the suspects were apprehended while about to receive $100,000 of the demanded bribe, with $200,000 already documented. Kheilo has since been dismissed, marking another step in Ukraine’s ongoing battle against corruption. President Zelenskyy’s administration has been actively removing corrupt officials, underscoring the country’s commitment to eradicating this pervasive issue.
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