Photo: mev.gov.ua
Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s prime minister, announced that the government has suspended Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko following the release of the third set of recordings in the “Midas” corruption case by NABU, in which a figure referred to as the “energy minister” appeared. At the time of the recorded conversation, Halushchenko held that position.
“By government decision, the duties of the minister are temporarily assigned to Lyudmyla Suhak, deputy justice minister for European integration,” Svyrydenko wrote. Halushchenko himself responded, saying he fully agrees with the suspension, is not clinging to his post, and intends to continue defending his position: “I consider temporary suspension during the investigation to be a civilized and correct scenario.”
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a lawmaker from the Holos party, criticized the move on his Telegram channel, calling it a “weak political step” that would achieve nothing. He emphasized that a formal submission to parliament for dismissal is needed, warning that once the situation calms down, Halushchenko could be reinstated.
Zheleznyak noted that Halushchenko is not the only Cabinet member implicated: NABU recordings also reference former energy minister and current justice minister Halushchenko (coded as “Professor”), as well as current energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk. Investigators reportedly recorded four different Cabinet members in various situations connected to the case.
