A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered that Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky be kept in custody over allegations of his alleged involvement in an illegal acquisition of state-owned land worth about $7 million.

Mr Solsky denies the allegations relating to events from 2017 to 2021 before he started as agriculture minister in March 2022.

The judge set a bail of 75.7 million hryvnias ($1.9 million).

Mr Solsky had tendered his resignation earlier on Thursday but technically remains in his post until parliament considers his request.

He is the first known minister under President Volodymyr Zelensky to be named a suspect in a corruption case.

The judge said that Solsky would remain in custody until June 24, but prosecutors told a court hearing earlier on Thursday that the allegations against him were punishable by up to 12 years in jail.

Mr Solsky was unavailable for immediate comment.

Mr Solsky, 44, has been at the centre of Ukraine’s effort to keep its grain industry going as Russia’s full-scale invasion has blocked Black Sea export routes, strewn fields with landmines, and seen farmland occupied.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau has said the allegations relate to a scheme to acquire state-owned land worth 291 million hryvnia ($7.35 million) and trying to obtain land worth 190 million hryvnia.

Under the alleged scheme, prosecutors said the land was illegally taken from two state firms and transferred to war veterans on the condition they lease it to some private firms.

Mr Solsky and his lawyer told the hearing on Thursday that he did not benefit from any such scheme.

Kyiv has applied to join the European Union, and Ukraine’s agriculture minister will be heavily involved in negotiations to integrate the country’s giant grain industry into the 27-member bloc.

A major Ukrainian farm union declined to comment on Mr Solsky’s custody ruling when reached by a journalist.

Mr Zelensky has tried to project a zero-tolerance line on corruption and last year replaced his defence minister after graft allegations pertaining to the defence ministry.

(Reuters/NAN)