"I have absolutely nothing to do with covering up illegal call centres. There will be polygraph tests and personnel decisions at OGP," - Prosecutor General Kravchenko
Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko has denied any involvement in shielding illegal call centres following searches of his office, and has also announced the dismissal of a person implicated in the investigation, widespread polygraph testing of officials, and a purge of staff at the Office of the Attorney General.
He announced this on Telegram, according to Censor.NET.
Kravchenko’s position
"In connection with the investigation into the possible facilitation of the activities of illegal call centres, I consider it necessary to clearly state my position: I have no connection whatsoever with the cover-up of illegal call centres, I did not issue any instructions to facilitate such activities, and I did not use the powers of the Prosecutor General for this purpose," he asserts.
According to the Prosecutor General, decisions have already been taken regarding the employee of the Office of the Prosecutor General who is implicated in the investigation. He has been suspended from his duties. Kravchenko also instructed that a personnel decision on his dismissal be prepared in accordance with the procedure laid down by law.
"Guilt is determined by the court. I am responsible for management decisions within the system I head. We will not limit ourselves to just one personnel decision," he emphasised.
Instructions
Kravchenko also instructed an audit of the work of the Department of International Cooperation, where the employee in question worked, and the cybercrime unit. The decisions taken, case files and results of the work will be scrutinised.
Separately, he instructed that all staff in the structural units involved in the procedural management and investigation of cases concerning illegal call centres should undergo polygraph testing. This applies to everyone without exception.
Personnel and disciplinary decisions will be taken
Based on the results of the inspections, personnel and disciplinary decisions will be taken, and where there are grounds, criminal proceedings will be initiated. If other staff members assisted the call centres, interfered with the investigation or covered up illegal activities, their actions will also be subject to legal assessment.
"No position will protect anyone. Over the past year, law enforcement agencies have detained staff from the prosecutor’s office and informed them of the allegations against them. We have not concealed these cases and have publicly reported on them ourselves. This will continue to be the case. Upon taking office, I set the task of stepping up efforts against fraudulent call centres. Over the past 12 months, more than 1,050 searches have been carried out, the operations of around 340 call centres have been shut down, and more than 5,000 operator workstations have been closed. There are currently 147 criminal investigations underway, and over 183 individuals have been notified of suspicion. Indictments against 93 individuals have already been sent to court. But no results of our work can justify abuses within the prosecutor’s office," added Kravchenko.
On the searches at Kravchenko’s premises
He also emphasised that during the investigative procedures, full access was granted to his office and everything that needed to be inspected. No obstacles were put in the way.
"I have nothing to hide. The safe in the photo being circulated in the media and on social media is not located in the Office of the Prosecutor General. It has no connection whatsoever to my office or to any other staff members of the Office of the Prosecutor General. Claims to the contrary are untrue. Reports of my alleged ‘disappearance’ are also untrue. I realise that many would like me to ‘go into hiding’, end up in hospital, or something else. I shall disappoint my ‘supporters’: yesterday I was at work, today I am working as usual and doing a bit of sport. We are carrying on with our work," the Prosecutor General concluded.
What led up to this?
- As a reminder, earlier " Ukrainska Pravda", citing its own sources, reported that NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) were allegedly conducting searches at the offices of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Maria Vdovichenko, and the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleg Kiper.
- On 4 September, NABU and the SAP announced suspected "protection rackets" within the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) involving a network of so-called call centres that swindle people out of money.
- According to media reports, NABU and the SAPO have detained Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the OGP’s Department of International Legal Cooperation.
- Prior to his current post at the OGP, Kropyva served as Deputy Head of the Odesa RMA, working alongside Oleh Kipper.
- Against this backdrop, NABU has announced a new operation called ‘Carthage’.
- The Office of the Prosecutor General has stated that it will suspend the employee who is under investigation for possible involvement in ‘providing protection for a network’ of fraudulent call centres and the legalisation of assets.
- According to updated information, NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have uncovered a criminal organisation whose members systematically received unlawful benefits from fraudulent call centres and laundered millions. The organiser of the scheme turned out to be one of the heads of a structural unit within the Office of the Prosecutor General.
- Recordings of a criminal group of OGP staff were also published.
- Later, the Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed that searches had been carried out at the homes of Prosecutor General Kravchenko and his deputy.
