Operation ’Carthage’: Office of Prosecutor General will conduct internal investigation into facilitation of U420 network and call centres
Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi has issued an order to conduct an internal investigation into the facts revealed during the second phase of Operation ‘Carthage’.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the press office of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Decisions will be made
As noted, the basis for this was media monitoring material, in particular reports about the possible involvement of unidentified officials from the prosecutor’s office in the return of property seized in criminal proceedings concerning the illegal activities of call centres and the U420 network.
"During the internal investigation, it will be examined whether prosecution service staff may have used their official powers or status for private gain, influenced the official duties of others, or committed other unlawful acts," the statement reads.
Based on its findings, decisions will be taken within the remit of the Office of the Prosecutor General where there are grounds to do so. At the same time, the launch of an internal investigation does not mean that any individual’s involvement in an offence has already been established.
NABU’s ‘Carthage’ operation
- Earlier, NABU reported that a senior SSU official was threatening to use a weapon and obstructing a search.
- Subsequently, the Bureau stated that NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) had exposed a criminal organisation that systematically bribed high-ranking officials from the SSU, the National Police and the Prosecutor’s Office in exchange for ‘protection’ of fraudulent call centres and other illegal businesses.
- NABU stated that, as part of the ‘Carthage’ investigation, a criminal organisation had been exposed, whose members had established a systematic practice of bribing senior officials in law enforcement agencies to allow fraudulent call centres and other illegal businesses to operate unhindered.
- It was subsequently reported that the anti-corruption authorities had detained General Serhii Duka, the first deputy head of the SSU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood.
- The head of the SSU, Oleksandr Poklad, dismissed two senior officials of the Service who are implicated in the NABU investigation as part of Operation ‘Carthage’. He also urged a suspect in the case, known by the alias ‘Mexican’, to return to Ukraine and surrender to the law enforcement authorities.
- NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have announced five charges relating to the cover-up of illegal business activities; those implicated include senior officials from the SSU and the National Police.
- On 5–6 November, the main suspects in the case were remanded in custody without the right to bail.
