Former Ukrainian Energy Minister Arrested While Attempting to Flee Country Amid $100 Million Corruption Scandal

Kyiv. Former Energy Minister German Galushchenko, implicated in a major corruption scandal involving approximately $100 million in Ukraine's energy sector, has been arrested while attempting to flee the country. He was apprehended by Ukrainian officials while trying to cross the border by train. 

He was removed from his ministerial post last year after his name surfaced in the corruption case. According to Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), he was taken into custody at the border crossing during an investigation being conducted under 'Operation Midas'. 

Galushchenko is accused of extorting commissions ranging from 10 to 15 percent from contractors of Ukraine's national nuclear energy company 'Energoatom' and illegally transferring that money abroad. Investigators had previously released photos of bags filled with cash, claiming this was a planned corruption scheme.

This corruption scandal has also put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's administration. Andriy Yermak, a close advisor to Zelenskyy, has resigned after his home was raided, although he has not faced any direct charges so far. 

News that ministers were actively embezzling money from the energy sector while Ukraine's energy infrastructure is in crisis due to the Russian invasion has caused intense public outrage within Ukraine.

Galushchenko has been taken to the capital, Kyiv, for further interrogation. Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov has already been arrested in this case, and some other suspects have fled the country. 

This arrest is considered significant as the international community closely monitors the steps Ukraine must take against corruption to become a member of the European Union (EU).