Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rocked by $100 million corruption scandal

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the biggest corruption scandal of his six-year presidency, as investigators accuse one of his former business partners of leading a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme, Kyiv Independent reported.

The case involves Timur Mindich, Zelensky's longtime associate and co-owner of his former entertainment company, Kvartal 95. Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said that Mindich led a group that received bribes and kickbacks worth about USD 100 million from contractors of a state-owned energy company in exchange for protecting their business deals.

According to the bureau, the group laundered millions through shell companies. Mindich, however, fled Ukraine before he could be formally charged.

Zelensky rose to power in 2019 by campaigning against corruption and nepotism, promising to bring "fresh faces" into politics. However, analysts say his reliance on friends and business associates has now become one of his biggest political weaknesses.

"During his 2019 campaign, Zelensky had sharply criticised then-President Petro Poroshenko over corruption scandals involving top aides. "Modern politicians are tied to old grudges, nepotism, and business projects, and are incapable of changing Ukraine," Zelensky had said at the time. (ANI)

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