Because of suspicion of corruption
Kyiv fires four deputy ministers
01/24/2023, 2:20 p.m
Corruption scandals have repeatedly shaken Ukraine, and the administration was not spared even during Russia’s war of aggression. In order to restore the confidence of citizens and international partners, four deputy ministers and five governors must now make way.
The corruption allegations in Ukraine have consequences for several deputy members of the government, governors and high-ranking officials. Five governors and four deputy ministers have been removed from their posts, the government in Kyiv said amid Russia’s war of aggression. Among them was Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov.
According to Taras Melnychuk, the government representative in parliament, the governors of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, the southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson, the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy and the capital Kyiv will be removed. It had previously become known that the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, and the deputy prosecutor general, Oleksiy Simonenko, were stepping down from their posts.
Deputy Defense Minister Shapovalov was responsible for logistical support for the army. His ministry has now announced his resignation. Earlier reports had been published accusing the Ministry of Defense of contracting at inflated prices when procuring food. They are said to have been two to three times higher than the usual purchase prices.
Reasons for resignation concealed
The ministry had denied the allegations. The rations for the soldiers had been purchased in accordance with “the procedure laid down by law”. At the same time, an internal audit of the purchasing of soldiers’ rations was announced. The Defense Ministry said Shapovalov’s resignation would preserve “the confidence of society and international partners.”
The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Tymoshenko, who has also resigned, shared a picture online showing him with a handwritten resignation letter. Tymoshenko thanked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the “trust and the opportunity to do something good every day and every minute”. He gave no reason for his resignation, which was confirmed by a presidential decree. Tymoshenko was involved in several scandals. Among other things, he was accused of using a car donated to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.
Also without giving any further details, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office announced the resignation of Deputy Prosecutor General Simoneko. He was recently accused, among other things, of having vacationed in Spain.
Foreign travel prohibited
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced “personnel decisions” on Monday evening. These would affect “managers at various levels in the ministries and other central government structures, in the regions and in the law enforcement system”. Zelenskyj also announced that he would ban government officials from traveling abroad except for business purposes. “If they want to recover now, they will do so outside of public service,” said the Ukrainian president.
Just last weekend, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry for the Development of Municipalities, Territories and Infrastructure, Wasyl Losynskyji, was dismissed because of investigations against him on suspicion of embezzlement. Before the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the country was regularly shaken by corruption scandals.