Ukraine anti-corruption probes close in on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's inner circle
Zelenskyy himself has not been a suspect in any of the probes launched so far, but the growing list of people close to him under investigation is quickly becoming a political liability.
Kyiv, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a high-ranking official on Wednesday as anti-corruption investigators identified a deputy head of the presidential office as a suspect in a money-laundering case. This announcement occurred just a day after the recently fired defense minister called for national elections, despite Russia's ongoing invasion that began over four years ago.
While President Zelenskyy himself was not implicated in the corruption investigation, it risks exposing him to another political crisis and puts his resilience to the test. The investigation, conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, has not disclosed many details. However, it has identified a group of individuals allegedly involved in laundering 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) to secure bail for a defendant in a major corruption case from last year.
This particular case, which involved the state-owned nuclear power company, led to the resignations of Ukraine's justice and energy ministers. The current suspects encompass a former lawmaker, the chairperson of a state bank's board, the head of the bank's supervisory board, and the deputy head of the presidential office.
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