Ukraine’s anti-graft agency says appointing Minister Chernyshov as Naftogaz chief is illegal
Minister of Regional Development Oleksiy Chernyshov (Photo:ureclub.com)
The National Agency on Corruption Prevention or NACP has said appointing Minister of Regional Development Oleksiy Chernyshov as head of Naftogaz of Ukraine would violate the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, Ukrainian news website LIGA.net reported on Nov. 2.
In particular, in a letter to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, NACP Head Oleksandr Novikov emphasized that the Cabinet of Ministers, of which Chernyshov is a member, has long been performing the functions of Naftogaz general meetings and the company’s supervisory board.
At the same time, the norms of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption explicitly ban officials and civil servants from taking up employment with legal entities if these companies were under their control or supervision.
The ban lasts for one year from the moment of termination of state functions.
“Thus, the appointment of any member of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers to NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine under the specified circumstances is illegal,” the NACP letter reads.
According to a LIGA.net source, the Cabinet of Ministers may appoint the head of Naftogaz on Nov. 3.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, on Nov. 2 registered a letter of resignation submitted by Chernyshov.
Earlier, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said the Verkhovna Rada may soon liquidate the Ministry of Regional Development by merging it with the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Chernyshov headed the Ministry of Regional Development in March 2020. Prior to that, he headed the Kyiv Regional State Administration for several months (October 2019 – March 2020).
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