The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has started an investigation into the apartment issue of the Minister of Agricultural Policy Vitaliy Koval, who, according to the media, lives in an elite residential complex in Kyiv.
The cost of the apartment arranged for his mother-in-law is estimated at 17.7 million hryvnias, which raised questions about its origin, because the pensioner probably did not have sufficient income to purchase it. NABU reported that it is conducting an investigation to identify possible unsubstantiated assets.
This is the third minister of agricultural policy to be investigated by the anti-corruption bureau. Previously, Mykola Solskyi and Taras Vysotskyi came under suspicion, both on charges of abuse, but the investigations into their cases appear questionable and the evidence base is often problematic. For example, Solsky's case, which has been going on for more than 5 years, is criticized for the lack of convincing evidence.
It is noted that NABU's interest in Koval arose only after his appointment to the position of Minister of Agricultural Policy, which may indicate the political context of the case. Experts speculate that these investigations may be a tool of political pressure or part of a larger struggle for control over the agricultural sector, particularly on issues such as the grain corridor or the opening of the land market.
