Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Mykola Solsky has been released on bail after he had been arrested for suspected corruption, according to the country’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
A deposit of UAH 75.7 million (€1.78 million) was made for Minister Solsky which, according to the department, was determined by the decision of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine.
“Mykola Solsky was released from custody and continues to exercise the powers of the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine,” according to a statement from the ministry today (Friday, April 26).
Earlier this week, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) of Ukraine accused Minister Solskyi, which it said is the “owner of a number of agricultural companies”, of being involved in a “scheme” to seize state land.
Between 2017 and 2021, 1,250 land plots have been seized under the “scheme”, totalling 2,493ha with a value at the time of over UAH 291 million (€6.83 million), according to the NABU which said the minister is among “13 suspects”.
Ukrainian agri minister
Solskyi was appointed as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on March 24, 2022, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine.
He was elected as a member of parliament in 2019 and had previously worked as a lawyer.
In response to the accusations, the Ukrainian agri minister yesterday (Thursday, April 25), said that he wrote a letter to the parliament offering his resignation which he said “in such a situation, I consider it the right step”.
The chair of Ukraine’s parliament, also known as Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk confirmed receipt of the resignation letter in a post on social media, and said that the application will be considered at one of the nearest plenary sessions.
