Ukraine parliament dismisses prosecutor general over graft accusation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko to be formally removed from power after it emerged that he had left the country after resigning amid a major corruption probe.
Moscow/Kiev (dpa) - The Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on Tuesday in connection with a graft scandal.
A large majority of 317 lawmakers supported a motion confirming his dismissal, which was tabled by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kravchenko submitted his resignation about a week ago in connection with a corruption scandal within his office, but described it as a "political decision."
On Monday, in a video posted from outside Ukraine, he levelled accusations against the Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities and called for the resignation of their leaders. He also stated that he was on an official trip abroad.
Zelensky responded by calling on lawmakers to dismiss Kravchenko as soon as possible.
Despite half a dozen anti-corruption agencies having been set up since 2014 with Western assistance, Ukraine is still regarded by experts at the non-governmental organization Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in Europe.