Ukraine court orders arrest of agriculture minister | Global News

A Ukrainian court has ordered Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky to be taken into custody over allegations of his involvement in an illegal acquisition of state-owned land worth about $7 million. Solsky denies the allegations, which date back to events in 2017-2021, before he assumed his role as agriculture minister in March 2022. The judge set bail at 75.7 million hryvnias.

Despite tendering his resignation letter on Thursday, Solsky technically remains in his post until parliament considers his request. He is the first known minister under President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be named a suspect in a corruption case. The judge has ruled that Solsky will remain in custody until June 24, with prosecutors stating that the allegations against him could result in up to 12 years in jail.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau has stated that the allegations involve a scheme to acquire state-owned land worth 291 million hryvnia and attempting to obtain land worth 190 million hryvnia. Prosecutors claim that the land was illegally taken from state firms and transferred to war veterans under the condition that they lease it to private firms.

Solsky and his lawyer have denied any involvement in the alleged scheme. President Zelenskiy has emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and has previously replaced his defence minister due to graft allegations. The news of Solsky’s custody ruling has sparked discussions on corruption within Ukraine’s government and the efforts to combat it.