Enriched with state land?
Ukrainian minister apparently suspected of corruption
April 23, 2024, 2:53 p.m
Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky is reportedly suspected of corruption. He is said to have been involved in the illegal acquisition of state lands worth millions. The Ukrainian anti-corruption agency is now investigating.
In Ukraine, the anti-corruption agency has accused the incumbent agriculture minister of having enriched himself by illegally acquiring state land worth the equivalent of almost 6.9 million euros before he became minister. The authority said he also allegedly tried to acquire additional areas worth almost 4.5 million euros.
The announcement refers to the “current Minister of Agriculture” but does not mention the name of the minister, Mykola Solsky. The allegations concern the years from 2017 to 2021. At that time, Solsky was not yet a minister; he has only held the office since 2022. Solsky was elected to parliament in Kyiv in 2019 and previously worked as a lawyer. According to corruption investigators, he and employees of the land registry office are said to have illegally appropriated 2,500 hectares of land in the northeastern Sumy region.
They are said to have destroyed documents that proved that the land belonged to state-owned companies. They then divided the areas between themselves, presumably under the guise of a state authority, as the authority further announced. The investigators were therefore able to prevent another plan to illegally acquire almost 3,300 hectares of land.
Kiev wants to take more consistent action against corruption in the country
The anti-corruption agency said the minister and the other suspects had been officially informed of the accusation. Solsky announced through his ministry that he promised “maximum transparency” in the investigation. His office noted that he did not hold public office until 2018.
Corruption and misappropriation of funds are a widespread problem in Ukraine. The leadership in Kiev is trying to take more consistent action against this – also with a view to the EU accession it is aiming for.