Why this matters
On March 16 the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) officially launched a full verification of the declaration of former minister of energy and justice Herman Galushchenko. For Ukraine this is not just a formality: in the context of the "Midas" case and public trust in oversight bodies, each such check becomes a litmus test of how institutions perform.
Facts of the case
Herman Galushchenko has been in pre-trial detention since February 17 as a subject of an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) into large-scale corruption. According to Anastasiia Radina, chair of the parliamentary committee on anti-corruption policy, her request to the NACP received a response: the procedure to verify the declaration has been initiated.
"I submitted my first request to the NACP regarding the verification of Galushchenko's declaration for possible falsehood as early as January 19. It's good that almost two months later this turn has reached him."
— Anastasiia Radina, chair of the Verkhovna Rada committee on anti-corruption policy
The NACP informed Radina that the standard duration of such a verification is up to 120 days, with the possibility of a further 60-day extension if there are grounds. According to the current calculation, the verification should be completed by July 14 or, if extended, by September 12.
What exactly will be checked
Among the issues under scrutiny: Galushchenko's residence in a house that belonged to former interior minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko — according to data, Galushchenko rented this house for UAH 126,000 per month, while the advertised rental price in May 2025 was UAH 654,000. Also, in court during the selection of a preventive measure Galushchenko stated that his children's education in Switzerland was paid for by a wealthy godfather and relatives; such gifts are not reflected in the declaration.
Context and reputational dimension
The verification is taking place against the backdrop of high-profile investigations around "Midas" and the Mindich tapes, which also implicated the NACP. In November 2025 the agency even launched an internal review in connection with these materials. So today's action by the NACP has both legal and political significance: it is not only about establishing facts concerning one individual, but also about public trust in the system that oversees the elite.
Radina also compared Galushchenko's case with the practice regarding the declaration of former Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak: in his case, information about the start of a verification did not appear on the NACP website until he was dismissed. This comparison gives grounds to raise questions about the consistency and transparency of procedures.
"One can only wonder whether a notice about the start of the verification of the declaration would have appeared if Galushchenko had remained in his ministerial post."
— Anastasiia Radina, head of the anti-corruption committee
What next
The NACP verification will last months — a period during which key questions must be answered: do the former minister's income and expenses match his declarations; are gifts and the sources covering large expenditures recorded; and does the control system operate equally for everyone. For citizens, this is a test of institutions' ability to ensure accountability without political selectivity.
Brief conclusion: the start of the verification of Galushchenko's declaration is an important step toward restoring trust in anti-corruption mechanisms. But the mere fact of initiating the procedure is only the beginning; the outcome and the consistency of the NACP's actions will determine how much this step becomes a real test of the system's effectiveness.
