Ukraine on Wednesday announced searches of government buildings and the homes of high-level ministers and oligarchs, as part of an anti-corruption campaign. The move comes ahead of a meeting of European leaders in kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s path towards EU membership.
Among the targets of Wednesday’s coordinated searches were residences linked to influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired, Zelensky’s party chief David Arakhamia said.
These are the latest in a series of high-level efforts to combat corruption in recent weeks.
In the midst of a war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has upped the ante in the internal fight against corruption, vowing to make as many personnel changes “as necessary,” including at the highest positions.
“People in government who do not meet the basic requirements of the state and society should not take their seats,” he said in a video address on Tuesday.
Zelensky was elected in 2019 on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform. However, ongoing efforts to crack down on misconduct have been overshadowed by the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.
Ukraine currently ranks low 116 out of 180 countries on the list of perceived corruption, according to anti-corruption group Transparency International.
billion dollar fraud
Investigators from the Ukrainian security service SBU released images of a search at the home of Kolomoisky, who was barred from entering the United States on allegations of corruption and undermining democracy.
Before the Russian invasion, Kolomoisky was one of the richest men in the country, with holdings in a number of industries, including the media, aviation and energy.
The security service stated that the search had been launched following an investigation into the embezzlement of 40 billion hryvnia (about $1.1 billion) from energy holdings.
Last week, the Ukrainian authorities fired a dozen senior officials, including defense officials and a top adviser in the president’s office.
One of them was the former Deputy Defense Minister, Viacheslav Shapovalov, who worked in logistical support for the Army. The Ministry has been accused of signing food contracts at prices up to three times higher than those of the market.
The SBU also said it had uncovered a scheme by the head of kyiv’s tax office involving “multi-million dollar” fraud. They accuse the official of having abused a position of authority.
In addition, the government has seized stakes in energy companies – oil producer Ukrnafta and refiner Ukrtatnafta – as part of moves to consolidate the war effort.
More layoffs are possible. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday that they had informed several senior officials that they were being investigated for crimes including embezzlement of state funds and misuse of state property.
“Any criminal who has the audacity to harm Ukraine, especially in wartime conditions, must clearly understand that we will put handcuffs on him,” Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, said Wednesday.
speed vs. integrity
Renewed efforts to tackle corruption are believed to be aimed at appeasing EU leaders, who arrived in kyiv on Thursday for a summit to discuss Ukraine’s EU bid.
According to Brussels, the strengthening of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and the reduction of the influence of powerful oligarchs are essential conditions for accession.
“Ukraine wants to show that it can put together a stable government capable of negotiating and demonstrating the value systems and commitment to transparency necessary to be part of the EU,” says Melanie Garson, Associate Professor of International Security and Conflict Resolution at the University of Ukraine. College of London (UK).
However, among the EU Member States there are very divergent views on the speed of the process. Ukraine’s staunchest supporters – including Poland and the Baltics – insist that kyiv is making big strides against corruption and that progress could be faster than anticipated.
But others insist that while making Ukraine a candidate country is the proper token of support in light of the war, the process of the major reforms needed will be long and arduous.
“The EU must find a balance between speed and integrity,” says Joel Reland, a research associate at UK in a Changing Europe. “It is clear that it wants Ukraine to join on the fast track but, at the same time, it cannot fully compromise its accession principles, which define the integrity of the EU.”
Even so, French President Emmanuel Macron warned last May that it could take “decades” before Ukraine meets the criteria and achieves full membership.
The advantage
Meanwhile, demonstrating issues like transparency is not just a matter of values.
In 2016, then-US Vice President Joe Biden withheld loan guarantees to Ukraine until the country’s attorney general, Viktor Shokin, was ousted as part of a push for coordinated anti-corruption reforms at the State Department. with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
In 2023, countries providing crucial military and financial aid to Ukraine still have “the upper hand in forcing their position,” says Garson, an associate professor of International Security and Conflict Resolution. “Zelenski is well aware of this and is trying to reiterate more bipartisan support around the world.”
Although the public removal of personalities – including a high defense official – in the middle of war may seem like a risk, not tackling corruption in wartime can have even more serious consequences in the long term.
Funding for reconstruction and recovery efforts can be “drastically undermined by criminals pocketing funds, both during and after war,” Transparency International states in its 2023 annual report.
“The visibility that work has been done to make this a place where donors don’t feel like their funds are going into the pockets of oligarchs is really important,” adds Garson. “There has to be trust in the government funds coming in and in outside investors – it’s critical for long-term strategic rebuilding.”
*With AFP; adapted from its original in English
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