The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to prematurely terminate the powers of the supervisory board of the national atomic energy generating company “Energoatom.” This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, emphasizing the need to restart the company and improve its efficiency.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New Board Composition and Company Audit
According to Yulia Svyrydenko, the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, in cooperation with international partners, is to submit a new composition of the “Energoatom” supervisory board for government approval within a week. The new body will be responsible for the swift renewal of the company’s leadership, conducting a full audit, and assisting law enforcement in investigating corruption schemes.
The Prime Minister also instructed the State Audit Office to conduct an urgent review of “Energoatom’s” economic activities, particularly regarding state procurement. The government expects to complete the audit as soon as possible and transfer all materials to the relevant law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for further investigation.
Reasons for Dissolution of the Board and Corruption Scandal
The decision to dissolve the supervisory board was a response to a series of corruption scandals within the company. Earlier, board member Tymofiy Mylovanov announced his resignation due to the insufficient response of his colleagues to the corruption scandal surrounding “Energoatom.” According to him, the board did not demonstrate the necessary determination to investigate and eliminate corruption risks within the company.
“I listened to how people who are supposed to fight corruption report to us, how they ‘giggle’ and say they have no data indicating that there is corruption. Well, then investigations need to be conducted,” said the official during the “Freedom Live” project broadcast.
An investigation by NABU detectives revealed the activities of a criminal organization that received illegal benefits from “Energoatom” contractors ranging from 10% to 15% of the contract amounts. The laundering of funds was carried out through a back office in Kyiv, with the total amount of illegally transferred funds reaching approximately 100 million dollars. During the investigative actions, five individuals, including former and current officials in the energy sector and a well-known businessman, were detained on suspicion of creating a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic enterprises, including “Energoatom.”
A draft resolution has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada for the dismissal of Herman Halushchenko from the position of Minister of Justice and Svitlana Hrynchuk from the position of Minister of Energy. Hrynchuk stated that she will not comment on the situation at this time, as she sees no grounds for complaints.
NABU detective Oleksandr Abakumov noted that during the investigation, four ministers from the Cabinet of Ministers were recorded as participating in various episodes, but this concerns not only current but also former officials.