SBU confirms wife, daughter of Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service deputy chief have Russian passports
The counter-espionage service of the Ukrainian SBU Security Service has found that the common-law wife of First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Serhii Semochko and her daughter are indeed citizens of the Russian Federation.
As reported by Censor.NET citing Ukrainski Novyny, this is evidenced by the files of the treason case initiated by the Main Investigation Department of the SBU on Oct. 16.
The proceedings were commenced based on the statement of the chairman of the board of TOM 14 NGO of Oct. 4 saying that the journalists had found evidence which may indicate Semochko’s ties through his family members with the representatives of the aggressor state – the Russian Federation – who might have the official on payroll in exchange for sensitive information.
On Oct. 26, the SBU’s counter-espionage service confirmed that Semochko’s common-law wife and her daughter are citizens of the Russian Federation.
In this regard, the investigators asked the court to grant them access to details of cellphone calls made by Semochko and his relatives.
The court granted the petition by giving the SBU access to the requested information starting from Jan. 1, 2014 to Nov. 23, 2018.
In early September 2018, the NABU opened criminal proceedings against Semochko after journalists found out that his family members own luxury real estate worth $8 million, expensive cars, and often fly helicopters. Moreover, eight relatives of the official have Russian citizenship. According to media reports, more than 200 people died because Semochko, while heading the Economic Counterintelligence Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine, intervened in the supply chain of the dialysis chemicals which caused their shortfall.
