The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky announced this Saturday, November 15, a restructuring of state energy companies, including the nuclear operator Energoatom, which has been at the center of a corruption scandal for several days.
“We are starting a reformulation of the main state energy companies”, announced the Ukrainian leader in a statement shared on social media.
According to the text, a new supervisory board is expected to take office within a week at Energoatom.
Other state-owned energy companies are implicated in the scandal, such as the country’s hydroelectric operator and national gas extraction and transportation companies.
On Monday, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced the discovery of a criminal scheme that allegedly embezzled 100 million dollars (around 86 million euros) in the sector, which led to the dismissal of the Ministers of Justice and Energy.
According to Zelensky, a complete audit of the financial activities of the targeted companies will be carried out, along with the replacement of their administrators and state representatives on the boards of directors.
“Any scheme discovered in these companies must be combated with a quick and fair response”, he warned.
The Ukrainian President stated in his statement that he instructed government officials to maintain “constant and constructive communication with law enforcement authorities and anti-corruption bodies.”
This latest scandal sent shockwaves through the presidency, as the alleged mastermind of the scheme, Timur Mindich, was considered a close friend of Zelensky.
Last summer, the Government was widely criticized for trying to strip independence from NABU and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), created 10 years ago, but retreated in the face of widespread protests from civil society and Kiev’s Western allies.
Ukraine’s energy sector has been severely hit in recent days by a large-scale bombing campaign with Russian missiles and drones, plunging much of the country into darkness.
The last major bombing in Kiev, which took place in the early hours of Friday, left at least seven dead and dozens injured.