The “European Solidarity” faction blocked the podium of the Verkhovna Rada during a session where the resignation of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk was to be discussed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Political Tension Surrounding the Resignation of Officials
Leader of the “European Solidarity” party, Petro Poroshenko, declared from the parliamentary podium a firm intention to prevent a vote on the resignation of the two ministers. He emphasized that such actions are seen as an attempt to preserve the “corruption vertical” and avoid deeper changes in power. Poroshenko also called for the formation of a new coalition, the redistribution of resources for the needs of the front, and the restoration of trust among both international partners and the Ukrainian public.
“We will not allow a vote today on the resignation of these two ministers. We responsibly declare: we will not vote for this attempt to let off steam and preserve the corruption vertical. We call for a decisive stop to the ‘Ali Baba’ government (according to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, recordings from the NABU list the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, as ‘Ali Baba’ – ed), to decisively form a coalition, decisively redistribute funds for the front, decisively restore trust among partners and the people, and decisively save Ukraine,” said the leader of this political force, Petro Poroshenko, from the parliamentary podium.
Following this, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk announced a break in the parliament’s work.
Corruption Scandal and Opposition Demands
On the eve, the political forces “Voice” and “European Solidarity” called for a change in the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers and the creation of a new coalition. This was prompted by a large-scale corruption scandal in the energy sector. On November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine announced the exposure of a criminal organization that systematically received illegal benefits from “Energoatom” contractors amounting to 10-15% of the contract value. According to the investigation, around 100 million dollars were laundered through a back office in central Kyiv, and the premises likely belonged to the family of former deputy and now Russian senator Andriy Derkach, who is a figure in another criminal proceeding by NABU and SAP.
Among those involved in the case are former business partner of Volodymyr Zelensky from “Quarter 95” Timur Mindich, who, according to law enforcement, has left Ukraine, former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, whose resignation the government initiated from the position of Justice Minister, and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. According to NABU, suspicions have been announced against eight individuals, five of whom have been detained.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported that she submitted a proposal to the parliament for the dismissal of Herman Halushchenko from the position of Justice Minister and Svitlana Hrynchuk from the position of Energy Minister.
NABU detective Oleksandr Abakumov noted in a live broadcast that during the investigation, law enforcement recorded four ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers in various situations, but these involve former and current officials from different periods.