3 months ago
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Ukraine's erstwhile Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, has been formally named arsenic a fishy successful a high-profile wealth laundering probe, investigators said Monday (February 16, 2026).
The announcement comes 1 time aft Mr. Galushchenko was detained by instrumentality enforcement attempting to permission Ukraine, and is the latest improvement successful a corruption ungraded successful the vigor assemblage that rocked the authorities past year.
"The erstwhile Energy Minister (2021-2025) has been exposed for wealth laundering and information successful a transgression organisation," the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said successful a statement.
The connection did not sanction Mr. Galushchenko, but helium served arsenic the country's Energy Minister betwixt 2021 and 2025. The charges transportation sentences of up to 15 years successful prison, according Ukraine's transgression code.
Mr. Galushchenko was accused successful November of taking portion successful a $100-million kickback strategy from contractors gathering fortifications to support vigor infrastructure against Russian attacks. Investigators present allege they recovered astir $12 cardinal successful slope accounts linked to Mr. Galushchenko's family.
He said successful November that helium would "defend himself successful court," arsenic helium was suspended from his post. He was 1 of respective high-profile governmental figures who resigned successful the aftermath of the scandal, with investigators alleging the strategy besides implicated a adjacent state of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr. Zelensky swept to powerfulness successful 2019, vowing to stamp retired corruption among the governmental elite. His authorities passed immoderate reforms, but has besides faced respective embarrassing graft scandals, including wrong the Defence Ministry. The European Union is urging sweeping reforms to stamp retired corruption arsenic portion of demands for Ukrainian rank to the bloc.
