Energy Minister expects continued aid from intl partners, despite 'Midas' case

Minister of Energy of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk expects continued assistance from international partners, despite the investigation into large-scale abuses in the energy sector, which was announced on Monday by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

"I am confident that the investigation will be conducted objectively and impartially within the framework of the law. Appropriate decisions will be made based on its results… I hope the objectivity and openness of the investigation assures our partners of our commitment to taking action," she said at a briefing in Kyiv.

"We are constantly in touch with our partners. They help us a lot with implementing all our projects, in terms of both protection and additional equipment. I am sure that they are doing this not for energy companies, but for Ukrainian society as a whole," Hrynchuk noted.

She emphasized the importance of transparent investigative actions and ensuring that all individuals involved are brought to justice if their guilt is proven.

During the briefing, the minister also noted that she does not have an advisor mentioned in the NABU/SAPO statements (Ihor Myroniuk) and is unaware of the described corruption schemes.

"I do not have such an advisor and, as far as I know, the previous minister did not have one either. I have no information about the schemes," the minister stressed.

As reported, the NABU and SAPO announced today a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector, which was called "Midas."