Ukraine’s anti-corruption office reported this week that it suspects Solsky of machinations with state land. In a statement published on social media, the authority said that Solskyj headed a criminal group that illegally acquired hundreds of hectares of land worth a total of 291 million hryvnias (174 million crowns).
Following this announcement, Solsky promised full cooperation to the authorities and submitted his resignation on Thursday. He will remain in office until the parliament considers the request for resignation.
The Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, suspected of corruption, has resigned
Foreign
In Ukraine, this is the first known case since President Volodymyr Zelensky came to power, when the authorities identified a minister as a suspect in a corruption case, Reuters noted. Last year, the Ukrainian president replaced his defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, whose office was hit by a corruption scandal. He was replaced at the head of the office by Rustem Umerov.
The court said today that Solskyj will remain in custody until June 24. Prosecutors said at Thursday’s court hearing that he faces up to 12 years in prison.
Forty-four-year-old Solskyi was at the center of Ukraine’s efforts to keep the grain industry going, writes Reuters. The normal export of agricultural products was made impossible by its full-scale invasion in February 2022 by Russia, whose army blocked export routes through the Black Sea and occupied some ports and agricultural land in the south of the country.
The Ukrainian SBU reports uncovering a corruption network in the purchase of ammunition for 900 million
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