Jewish financier Igor Kolomoisky, who also holds Israeli citizenship was arrested in his home last week and remanded by a court until October 31. He had been a supporter of the president and is considered a close ally. Kolomoisky who is one of the richest people in Ukraine is suspected by the security services, of laundering more than 13 million dollars. He had previously stood trial in the U.S. and last year, was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship on order from Zelensky.
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While the fighting against the Russian invading forces continues in Ukraine, reports of corruption have increased in recent months. The state prosecutor was arrested on suspicion of a massive embezzlement plot and doctors were questioned amid claims that they provided medical exemptions from military service in exchange for money.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been trying to show that despite the war, he continues to fight corruption spreading in his country, as voices in the West have been wondering if financial aid was reaching the right places.
Kolomoisky's public arrest was an effort to prove to the West that serious efforts were being made to fight corruption and improve Kyiv's reputation. After the court ruled that he was to remain in custody, Zelensky thanked judicial authorities and said there would no longer be "business as usual," for those who position themselves above Ukrainian law.