State Emergency Service head arrested on corruption charges during Cabinet of Ministers meeting
Senior Ukrainian state official Serhiy Bochkovskiy has been arrested on corruption charges during today’s session of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers.
Bochkovskiy is accused of embezzlement connected to the procurement of fuels and lubricants for the State Emergency Service, which he has headed since April 2014. Bochkovskiy’s first deputy Vasyl Stoyetskiy was also detained on similar charges.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the nation’s war against corruption would continue.
“The Cabinet has issued clear instructions about waging a real war on corruption in Ukraine, a country where a real war is taking place, where ordinary citizens are helping the nation defend against Russian aggression. “
According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, State Emergence Service chief Bochkovskiy used a network of private offshore bank accounts in order siphon off state funds.
The arrest of senior serving government officials is a rarity in Ukraine. Bochkovskiy’s detention has been widely interpreted as a public demonstration of the government’s resolve to combat corruption within state structures.
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