Zelenskyy appointed as acting Prosecutor General person who "failed to notice" corruption on part of his own deputy, - Shabunin
The new acting Prosecutor General, Anton Kovalsky, whilst heading the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office, failed to notice a number of issues in the asset declarations and activities of his subordinates.
This was reported by Vitalii Shabunin, chairman of the board of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"70 per cent of Ukrainians do not trust the prosecutor’s office, whilst 56 per cent are prepared to place greater trust in a Prosecutor General selected through an open competition involving international experts," he noted.
"In response, Zelenskyy has appointed an acting ‘nobody’ from the Khmelnytskyi Prosecutor’s Office, who ‘failed to notice’ that one of his own deputies:
- assets worth $325,000 (over 13 million hryvnias) acquired during his year as a prosecutor. For example, his mother-in-law purchased three properties whilst working in a pharmacy.
- His father-in-law, who was placed under suspicion by NABU and fled Ukraine to the Russian Federation, was subsequently sentenced in absentia to eight years’ imprisonment for collaboration.
Another subordinate of the now acting Prosecutor General: he filmed videos for his OnlyFans account right in his office and sent them to female court staff," added Shabunin.
What is known about Anton Kovalsky?
The Anti-Corruption Action Centre reported that Kovalsky was appointed head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office following the scandal involving prosecutors with disabilities, which began precisely in Khmelnytskyi.
"From 2011 – that is, from the time of purchase – until 2022, the prosecutor stated that he drove a Volkswagen Polo registered in his brother’s name.
Since 2018, Kovalskyi and his family have been living in a 79-square-metre flat in Vinnytsia. The flat, which is registered in his mother’s name, was occupied by the prosecutor’s family immediately after its purchase. In other words, it was effectively bought specifically for the prosecutor’s family’s needs.
At the same time, there are questions regarding the source of the funds held by his mother, who worked at a psychoneurological hospital. In 2019, her pre-tax income amounted to 51,000 UAH; in 2020 – 72,000 UAH; in 2021 – 122,500 UAH. She had no savings during those years, so it is unclear how an apartment could have been purchased on such an income," the CPC noted.
They also stated that Kovalsky’s wife was born in Russia.
"Since 2019, a new Nissan Qashqai has been registered in her name. However, different declarations list different prices for this car. From 2022 to 2025, Kovalskyy states that his wife and two children had temporary protection and the right of residence in Romania.
At the same time, from 2022 to 2024, Koval’ska held a work permit, whilst the children had the right to study in Canada. During this same period, Koval’skyi listed his wife’s Canadian bank account. In 2022, it contained 6,000 Canadian dollars," the CPC stated.
In March 2023, Kovalskyi’s wife became a sole trader:
"And a rather successful one at that. After all, in less than a year, she earned 5.2 million hryvnias. In other words, if her tax returns are to be believed, selling sports nutrition allowed her to earn over 500,000 hryvnias a month."
Kravchenko’s resignation and the allegations against Kryvonos
- Earlier, Ruslan Kravchenko stated that he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and a person close to the head of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Rada to immediately support the dismissal of Ruslan Kravchenko from the post of Prosecutor General.
- NABU and the SAPO described Kravchenko’s actions as a continuation of a systematic attack on anti-corruption bodies.
- According to the Centre for Political and Legal Reforms, Kravchenko left the country on the night of 14 September.
- Subsequently, the Prosecutor General stated that he is currently abroad on a business trip.
- According to sources at Censor.NET, Kravchenko registered his trip abroad as an official business trip to Brussels.
- Subsequently, Prosecutor General Kravchenko stated that NABU Director Kryvonos is suspected of a sham adoption to evade criminal liability.
- On 14 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered the suspension of Ruslan Kravchenko from the post of Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
- The Office of the Prosecutor General denied reports that a notice of suspicion had been served on Semen Kryvonos.
- Kravchenko accused the NABU of attempting to have the notice of suspicion against the bureau’s director, Semen Kryvonos, revoked through backroom deals.
- On 15 September, the President signed Kravchenko’s dismissal.
- On 17 September, President Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Anton Kovalsky to act as Prosecutor General.
