Ukraine agriculture minister released from custody in suspected corruption case

Ukraine's agriculture minister, who has been accused of involvement in a large-scale corruption scandal, posted nearly $2 million in bail and returned to his duties on Friday, his ministry announced.

Blighted by severe corruption since the fall of the Soviet Union, Kyiv has pledged to bolster its anti-graft efforts as part of its bid for European Union membership.

The minister, Mykola Solsky, was remanded in custody earlier on Friday after being formally named a suspect in a multimillion-dollar corruption probe.

"Mykola Solsky has been released from custody and continues to perform his duties," his ministry announced on social media.

Solsky, 44, has been accused of illegally seizing land worth more than $7 million when he was the head of a major farming company and a member of parliament.

An anti-corruption court in the capital Kyiv had ordered him to be held in custody until June 24 and bail was set at 75.7 million hryvnias ($1.9 million).

Earlier this week, Solsky offered his resignation and promised to cooperate with the probe. The chairman of Ukraine's parliament said lawmakers would consider the resignation request at one of their next sessions.

Prosecutors said Friday they had also charged a dozen other people suspected in the case, including civil servants.

(AFP)

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