KYIV — Heads are rolling in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s increasing purge towards corruption in Ukraine, however Protection Minister Oleksii Reznikov is denying rumors that he’s destined for the exit — a transfer that may be considered as a substantial setback for Kyiv in the midst of its battle with Russia.
Two weeks in the past, Ukraine was shaken by two major corruption scandals centered on authorities procurement of army catering companies and electrical mills. Slightly than sweeping the suspect offers beneath the carpet, Zelenskyy launched a serious crackdown, in a bid to indicate allies within the U.S. and EU that Ukraine is making a clear break from the previous.
Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer with the Anti-Corruption Motion Heart, a watchdog, stated Zelenskyy wanted to attract a line within the sand: “Because even when the war is going on, people saw that officials are conducting ‘business as usual’. They saw that corrupt schemes have not disappeared, and it made people really angry. Therefore, the president had to show he is on the side of fighting against corruption.”
For the reason that preliminary revelations, the graft investigations have snowballed, with enforcers uncovering additional attainable profiteering within the protection ministry. Two former deputy protection ministers have been positioned in pre-trial detention.
Given the give attention to his ministry within the scandal, hypothesis by journalists and politicians has swirled that Reznikov — one of many best-known faces of Ukraine’s battle towards the Russian invaders — is about to be fired or a minimum of transferred to a different ministry.
However dropping such a high title can be a giant blow. At a press convention on Sunday, Reznikov dismissed the claims about his imminent departure as rumors and stated that solely Zelenskyy was able to take away him. Though Reznikov admits the anti-corruption division at his ministry failed and wishes reform, he stated he was nonetheless targeted on guaranteeing that Ukraine’s troopers have been correctly outfitted.
“Our key priority now is the stable supply of Ukrainian soldiers with all they need,” Reznikov stated through the press convention.
Regardless of his insistence that any determination on his elimination may solely come from Zelenskyy, Reznikov did nonetheless warning that he was able to depart — and that no officers would serve of their posts without end.
The hypothesis about Reznikov’s destiny picked up on Sunday when David Arakhamia, head of Zelenskyy’s affiliated Servant of the Folks social gathering faction within the parliament, revealed an announcement saying Reznikov would quickly be transferred to the place of minister for strategic industries to strengthen military-industrial cooperation. Main Basic Kyrylo Budanov, present head of the Navy Intelligence Directorate, would head the Ministry of Protection, Arakhamia said.
Nevertheless, on Monday, Arakhamia appeared to row again considerably, and claimed no reshuffle within the protection ministry was deliberate for this week. Mariana Bezuhla, deputy head of the nationwide safety and protection committee within the Ukrainian parliament, additionally stated that the parliament had determined to postpone any workers selections within the protection ministry as they contemplate the broader dangers for nationwide protection forward of one other assembly of protection officers on the U.S. Ramstein air base in Germany and earlier than an anticipated upcoming Russian offensive.
Zelenskyy steps in
The protection ministry will not be the one division to be swept up within the investigations. Over the primary days of February, the Safety Service of Ukraine, State Investigation Bureau, and Financial Safety Bureau performed dozens of searches on the customs service, the tax service and in native administrations. Officers of a number of totally different ranges have been dismissed en masse for sabotaging their service throughout battle and hurting the state.
“Unfortunately, in some areas, the only way to guarantee legitimacy is by changing leaders along with the implementation of institutional changes,” Zelenskyy stated in a video address on February 1. “I see from the reaction in society that people support the actions of law enforcement officers. So, the movement towards justice can be felt. And justice will be ensured.”
Yuriy Nikolov, founding father of the Nashi Groshi (Our Cash) investigative web site, who broke the story in regards to the defense ministry’s alleged profiteering on food and catering services for soldiers in January, stated the dismissals and continued searches have been first steps in the proper path.
“Now let’s wait for the court sentences. It all looked like a well-coordinated show,” Nikolov informed POLITICO. “At the same time, it is good that the government prefers this kind of demonstrative fight against corruption, instead of covering up corrupt officials.”
Nonetheless, despite the fact that Reznikov declared zero tolerance for corruption and admitted that protection procurement throughout battle wants reform, he has nonetheless refused to publish military worth contract knowledge on meals and non-secret gear, Nikolov stated.
Throughout his press convention, Reznikov insisted he couldn’t reveal delicate army info throughout a interval of martial legislation because it might be utilized by the enemy. “We have to maintain the balance of public control and keep certain procurement procedures secret,” he stated.
Two deputies down
Alleged corruption in secret procurement offers has, nonetheless, already value him two of his deputies.
Deputy Protection Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who oversaw logistical help for the military, tendered his resignation in January following a scandal involving the buy of army rations at inflated costs. In his resignation letter, Shapovalov requested to be dismissed so as “not to pose a threat to the stable supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a result of a campaign of accusations related to the purchase of food services.”
One other of Reznikov’s former deputies, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who managed protection procurement within the ministry till December, was additionally arrested over accusations he lobbied for a purchase order of three,000 poor-quality bulletproof vests for the military value greater than 100 million hryvnias (€2.5 million), the Security Service of Ukraine reported. If discovered responsible he faces as much as eight years in jail. The director of the corporate that equipped the bulletproof vests beneath the illicit contract has been recognized as a suspect by the authorities and now faces as much as 12 years in jail if discovered responsible.
Each ex-officials might be launched on bail.
One other unnamed protection ministry official, a non-staff adviser to the deputy protection minister of Ukraine, was additionally recognized as a suspect in relation to the alleged embezzlement of 1.7 billion hryvnias (€43 million) from the protection price range, the General Prosecutors Office of Ukraine reported.
When requested about corruption circumstances towards former staffers, Reznikov burdened folks needed to be thought of harmless till confirmed responsible.
Reputational danger
On the press convention on Sunday, Reznikov claimed that in his time within the protection ministry, he managed to reorganize it, launched competitors into meals provides and crammed empty shares.
Nevertheless, the anti-corruption division of the ministry fully failed, he admitted. He argued the state of affairs within the division was so unsatisfactory that the Nationwide Company for the Prevention of Corruption gave him an order to conduct an official audit of staff. And it confirmed the division needed to be reorganized.
“At a closed meeting with the watchdogs and investigative journalists I offered them to delegate people to the reloaded anti-corruption department. We also agreed to create a public anti-corruption council within the defense ministry,” Reznikov stated.
Nikolov was one of many watchdogs attending the closed assembly. He stated the minister didn’t deliver any invoices or receipts for meals merchandise for the military, or any corrected contract costs to the assembly. Furthermore, the minister known as the demand to disclose the worth of an egg or a potato “an idiocy” and stated costs shouldn’t be revealed in any respect, Nikolov said in a statement. Overpriced eggs have been one of many options of the inflated catering contracts that obtained explicit public consideration.
Reznikov as a substitute recommended creating an advisory physique with the general public. He would additionally maintain conferences, and dealing teams, and promised to supply invoices upon request, the journalist added.
“So far, it looks like the head of state, Zelenskyy, has lost patience with the antics of his staff, but some of his staff do not want to leave their comfort zone and are trying to leave some corruption options for themselves for the future,” Nikolov stated.
Reznikov was not personally accused of any wrongdoing by legislation enforcement businesses.
However the minister acknowledged that there was reputational harm in relation to his staff and communications. “This is a loss of reputation today, it must be recognized and learned from,” he stated. On the similar time, he believed he had nothing to be ashamed of: “My conscience is absolutely clear,” he stated.
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