NewsUkrainian Agriculture Minister Arrested over $7 Million land scandal
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Arrested over $7 Million land scandal
5:39 AM EDT, April 26, 2024
On Friday, April 26th, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine ordered the arrest of the Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solsky, on charges of the illegal acquisition of state lands valued at around 7 million dollars. This came right after Solsky submitted his resignation on Thursday.
The court has already determined a bail amount of 75.7 million hryvnias ($1.9 million). Solsky will be eligible to be released from jail upon payment of this sum.
"The judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court granted the request of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office on Friday and applied a preventive measure in the form of temporary arrest for a period of 60 days, until June 24, as part of the ongoing preliminary proceedings," reports PAP.
During the hearing on Thursday, the prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested the temporary arrest of Solsky. The prosecutor cited the risk of Solsky obstructing the investigation, influencing witnesses, and hiding them as reasons for this request.
The prosecution argues that the "gravity of the crime" justifies the restriction of freedom for an individual accused of such an offense. Additionally, it was noted that Solsky had crossed the border multiple times amid martial law. His lawyer later clarified that these crossings were for business travel and one approved vacation.
If convicted, Solsky could face up to 12 years in prison. The Minister of Agriculture has already resigned and is awaiting a vote on his resignation soon.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) revealed on Tuesday that Solsky is suspected of illicitly obtaining land worth 291 million hryvnias (about $7 million) and attempting to seize an additional plot valued at 190 million hryvnias (around $4 million), according to PAP.
Solsky has denied these allegations, stating that the incidents referred to by NABU took place in 2017-2018 when he was working as a lawyer, not serving as a minister.
