The country is attacking the “internal enemy” of corruption in the midst of war
Ukraine on Wednesday launched a wave of investigations targeting administrations, officials and figures, while authorities insist that fighting corruption is a priority in the context of the war effort and Western aid.
In his daily video message, President Zelensky said that “today (Wednesday) the Security Services of Ukraine, the State Investigation Bureau, the Economic Security Bureau and the Prosecutor’s Office conducted dozens of investigations and other actions in different regions and against various persons in context of the criminal procedure”.
“Justice will be served,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would make whatever changes were needed in personnel to root out corruption and stressed the need for the defense ministry to be honest.
“Unfortunately, in some areas, the only way to ensure the rule of law is to change leadership … there will be as many changes as necessary,” he said in a videotaped speech.
The head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Vasyl Maliuk, clarified that this is a campaign aimed at “hitting the internal enemy”. “This is only the first step,” he stressed, “and we are not going to stop here,” while pledging to “handcuff” those who “have the audacity to harm Ukraine.”
Ukrainian authorities said they raided the home of billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky, former Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and Ukrainian tax authorities earlier on Wednesday, and the customs administration was fired. High-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense were also visited by investigators.
The police raid on the home of the influential billionaire Zelenskiy ally was presented as a sweeping crackdown on corruption.
The raids come a week after a number of senior officials were ousted in the wake of a corruption case involving military procurement, the first major scandal since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.
RES-EMP
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