Court arrests deputy agriculture minister in theft case

The High Anti-Corruption Court on May 9 issued an arrest warrant for Deputy Agriculture Minister Markiian Dmytrasevych.

Dmytrasevych is one of the suspects in an embezzlement case involving Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi.

Law enforcement services previously did not manage to hand Dmytrasevych a notice of suspicion as he was abroad on a business trip. Dmytrasevych left Ukraine on April 12 and returned in late April, when Solskyi's arrest had been already authorized.

Dmytrasevych was taken into custody until July 7 with an alternative of Hr 20.3 million (around $514,600) bail.

Solskyi is suspected of illegally appropriating Ukrainian state-owned land worth Hr 291 million ($7.3 million) and attempting to seize another plot worth an additional Hr 190 million ($4.8 million), according to Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the minister's arrest on April 26. Solskyi was ordered to be held in custody until June 24, but he posted a Hr 75.7 million ($1.9 million) bail on the same day and was released.

The ministry later reported that Solskyi returned to perform his work duties despite the news of his announced resignation.

Agriculture minister accused of illegal acquisition of state-owned land arrested, promptly released on $1.9 million bail

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the arrest of Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, suspected of illegally acquiring state-owned land, Ukrainian media outlets reported early on April 26.

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova