Ukraine’s former Energy Minister named suspect in laundering probe
The Hindu
Former Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko named suspect in money laundering probe amid ongoing corruption scandal.
Ukraine's former Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, has been formally named as a suspect in a high-profile money laundering probe, investigators said Monday (February 16, 2026).
The announcement comes one day after Mr. Galushchenko was detained by law enforcement attempting to leave Ukraine, and is the latest development in a corruption scandal in the energy sector that rocked the government last year.
"The former Energy Minister (2021-2025) has been exposed for money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation," the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said in a statement.
The statement did not name Mr. Galushchenko, but he served as the country's Energy Minister between 2021 and 2025. The charges carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison, according Ukraine's criminal code.
Mr. Galushchenko was accused in November of taking part in a $100-million kickback scheme from contractors building fortifications to defend energy infrastructure against Russian attacks. Investigators now allege they found approximately $12 million in bank accounts linked to Mr. Galushchenko's family.
He said in November that he would "defend himself in court," as he was suspended from his post. He was one of several high-profile political figures who resigned in the wake of the scandal, with investigators alleging the scheme also implicated a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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