Links with Zelensky's entourage and the scandalous reward: how Herman Galushchenko has his sights on the Minister of Energy post

Author

Natalia Myronova

On April 22, 2021, the Servant of the People faction discussed the candidacy for the post of Minister of Energy. The contender was the Vice-President of the state-owned enterprise NNEGC «Energoatom» Herman Galuschenko. On April 26, the faction began collecting signatures for his appointment. The Verkhovna Rada can vote "for" on April 29.

has compiled information about what Herman Galushchenko is known for, and how a possible appointment to the post is going on.

There are rumors

On April 17, 2021, the online newspaper LB.ua, citing several sources, including the government and the Verkhovna Rada, reported that Galushchenko was the main candidate for the Minister of Energy post. At that time, the information was unofficial and it was reported that Galushchenko had already agreed to the proposal to lead the Ministry of Energy. The newspaper added that his candidacy was proposed by Acting President of Energoatom Petro Kotin.

"We are preparing for Thursday to vote for Mr. Herman... We met with the faction using Zoom. Now Mr. Galushchenko is meeting with other factions, and then there will be a meeting with the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada," the Head of the Servant of the People David Arakhamia said later, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

According to him, the Office of the President of Ukraine suggested considering the candidacy of Galushchenko. This happened because Galushchenko was a participant in workshops on the situation in the energy sector and established himself as a professional person. Current Acting Minister of Energy Yurii Vitrenko will remain in the team, but will not be the Minister.

"Little is known about Galuschenko, but most likely he will be appointed. First, he is strongly supported by the Office of the President. Secondly, everyone is incredibly tired of Yurii Vitrenko’s inadequacy, who, while serving as Minister of Energy, managed to change sides from Ihor Kolomoisky to Rinat Akhmetov, and then shafted the last one as well," the source told Legalhub.

At the same time, according to People's Deputy Iryna Vereshchuk, Servant of the People really counts on a positive decision of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Utilities Services on the possible appointment of Galushchenko.

Who is Herman Galushchenko

Herman Galushchenko graduated from Lviv State University with a Honours Degree in jurisprudence in 1995. At the same time, he has a Master's Degree in international management (foreign economic activity) gained at the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade.

He worked in the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was the Deputy Head of the Department of the Secretariat (Administration) of the President, in 2013-2014 he served as the Executive Director for legal support at Energoatom. He also became Vice President there in May 2020.

Since 2012 he has been teaching private international law at the Institute Of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He is an Associate Professor of the Department of Private International Law at the Institute Of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He has the honorary title "Honored Lawyer of Ukraine", was awarded the Order of Danylo Halytsky.

According to a LegalHub’s source, Galushchenko is close to the presidential aide Serhiy Shefir. "Initially he was suggested by the former Head of Energoatom Andriy Derkach. But now Shefir supervises his activities. Galushchenko has no relations with Ihor Kolomoisky and Rinat Akhmetov, but gets along well with the entourage of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He is a regular in the Office. There are chances," a source in the Servant of the People said.

As the former Head of the Directorate for Corruption Prevention and Counteraction, Oleh Polishchuk, told in an interview with Kosatka.Media, Herman Galushchenko and Hartmut Yakob, first Vice-Presidents of the SE NNEGC "Energoatom", allegedly received money rewards. On September 21, 2020, a letter was received to the trust box stating that the Acting President of Energoatom Petro Kotin, the Vice-Presidents Herman Galushchenko and Hartmut Yakob committed a corruption offense, namely, they illegally seized 560,000 UAH. Kotin allegedly unreasonably paid the premium for the Q2 of 2020, while Galushchenko and Yakob were not entitled to receive it.

A quarterly reward can be given on the basis of the relevant Regulation stating that employees receive a quarterly reward after passing the radiation and nuclear safety exam. But the message said that the persons mentioned had not passed this exam, but had received the reward.

According to the job description, this exam must be passed within four months after the appointment, Galushchenko and Yakob were appointed on May 6, 2020. Respectively, the exams were to be passed before September 6, 2020. At the same time, in August 2020, Galushchenko declared a salary in the amount of 278,000 UAH, and Hartmut—255,000 UAH. Further, the protocol for September 22, 2020 appeared—consequently, it was about passing the exam after the expiration of the required period. Moreover—one day after the report on the violation of anti-corruption laws.

How is the person appointed to the post

As the Deputy Head of the Servant of the People faction Yevhenia Kravchuk told the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the Servant of the People collected signatures to be submitted from the faction. The procedure is quite clearly provided for by the Constitution: first, there must be a submission from the faction, then the Prime Minister suggests it to the Verkhovna Rada, it is considered by a relevant committee and only after that the submission can be suggested to the Parliament Hall.