Ukrainian court requested today to detain the Minister of Agriculture of the country Nikola Solskywho was named as a suspect in the case corruption concerning her illegal acquisition of state land worth approximately 7 million euros.

Solski denies the allegations, which cover the period 2017-2021, before he is appointed agriculture minister in March 2022. The judge set bail at 75.7 million hryvnias (about 1.7 million euros).

Solski tendered his resignation yesterday, Thursday, but formally remains in his post until parliament considers his request.

He is the first minister in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government to be named as a suspect in a corruption case.

The judge stated that Solski will remain in custody until June 24. Prosecutors said yesterday that if convicted of the charges, the minister could face up to 12 years in prison.

Solsky, 44, has been at the center of Ukraine’s efforts to preserve the country’s grain exports as Russia’s invasion has shut down export routes through the Black Sea, and farmland has been mined or seized by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency announced on Tuesday that the allegations against Solsky relate to a scheme to acquire state-owned land worth about 291 million hryvnias (6.8 million euros) and the attempted acquisition of land worth 190 million hryvnias (4.4 million euros).

Under the alleged plan, this land was illegally expropriated from two state-owned companies and given to war veterans on the condition that they lease it to private companies.

Solsky and his lawyer said during a hearing yesterday that he did not benefit from such a scheme.