Son of Ukraine’s interior minister is detained on charges

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency has detained the son of the nation’s interior minister on embezzlement charges.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau said Tuesday it has arrested three people accused of embezzling 14 million hryvnias (about $520,000). It didn’t name the suspects, but Interior Minister Arsen Avakov confirmed that his son is among them.

Avakov insisted on Facebook that his son is innocent.

He warned the anti-corruption agency against falling under political influences and serving the interests of some political groups. Without naming anyone, Avakov described the detention of his son as an attempt to pressure him.

Some saw the detention of Avakov’s son as a sign of escalating political infighting in parliament’s ruling coalition. Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko said it represented President Petro Poroshenko’s attempt to discredit Avakov.