The justice and energy ministers of Ukraine resigned on Wednesday, the latest officials to be toppled by a fast-growing corruption scandal involving the energy industry. The scandal has enraged Ukrainians weary from years of war against Russia and threatens to block Ukraine’s effort to join the European Union. The core of that enterprise was allegedly a kickback scheme in which contractors paid off politicians to secure lucrative contracts from state nuclear power company Energoatom for building fortifications to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) exposed a bribery and kickback ring so huge that it would qualify as one of the largest corporations in Ukraine, if it had been legal – a money-laundering enterprise that handled over $100 million. The core of that enterprise was allegedly a kickback scheme in which contractors paid off politicians to secure lucrative contracts from state nuclear power company Energoatom for building fortifications to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks. Many of those energy facilities ended up getting destroyed by Russian bombs, saddling Ukrainian citizens with dangerous blackouts during the frigid winter months. The kickbacks alleged ranged as high as 15 percent of the value of the contract.
