A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the Minister of Agriculture, Mikola Solski, who had announced his resignation on Thursday, to be placed in pretrial detention, following accusations regarding his involvement in an illegal acquisition of state-owned land, worth approximately 7 million euros. USD.
Mîkola Solski denies the accusations, which refer to facts that happened in the period 2017-2021, before starting his work as Minister of Agriculture, in March 2022, according to Reuters, taken over by News.ro.
The judge set bail at 75.7 million hryvnias ($1.9 million).
Minister Solski submitted his letter of resignation on Thursday, but technically remains in office until parliament considers his request.
He is the first minister in the Ukrainian cabinet during the term of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is named as a suspect in a corruption case.
The judge mentioned that Solski will remain in detention until June 24. Prosecutors said at Thursday’s hearing that the charges against the minister could carry a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
Prosecutors’ accusations
Solski, 44, has been at the center of Ukraine’s efforts to keep its grain industry afloat as Russia’s invasion has blocked export routes to the Black Sea, farmland has been mined and arable land occupied.
The national anti-corruption bureau says the charges relate to a scheme to acquire state-owned land worth 291 million hryvnias ($7.35 million) and the attempt to acquire land worth 190 million hryvnias.
Based on this scheme, the land was illegally taken from two state-owned companies and transferred to war veterans on the condition that they rent it to private companies, prosecutors said.
Solski and his lawyer said at Thursday’s hearing that he did not benefit from such a scheme.
Zelenski has tried to project an image of zero tolerance for corruption and last year replaced the defense minister after allegations of corruption involving the Ministry of Defense, Reuters notes.
Publisher: BP
Tags: Ukrainian Minister Agriculture arrested
