The NABU denied that a notice of suspicion had been served on Kryvonos. In response, the Prosecutor General published the document

Semen Kryvonos, head of the NABU. Photo: State Inspectorate for Architecture and Urban Planning of Ukraine (DIAM)

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have stated that the actions of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko are a continuation of a «systematic attack» on independent anti-corruption bodies.

This is stated in a NABU press release.

The anti-corruption bodies recalled that the active phase of the attack began last summer. One of the main objectives at the time was allegedly an attempt to place NABU and the SAP under the authority of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

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«NABU and the SAPO do not participate in political struggles. We act strictly within the law and are prepared to defend the independence of the anti-corruption system,» the agencies stated.

At the same time, NABU denied Mr Kravchenko’s claims regarding an alleged notice of suspicion signed by him and addressed to NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

«As of now, no formal notice of suspicion has been served on NABU Director Semen Kryvonos,» the statement reads.

The bureau also denied reports regarding the seizure of criminal cases, as referred to by Kravchenko.

«NABU has not seized any criminal cases referred to in the Prosecutor General’s statements. All claims regarding the alleged seizure of such cases by NABU are untrue,» NABU emphasised.

Meanwhile, following NABU’s statement, Kravchenko published the text of the notice of suspicion he had signed concerning Kryvonos.

The document indicates that the head of NABU is charged with four criminal offences. Two charges relate to the alleged forgery of paternity documents and the use of such a document in court.

According to the investigation, he allegedly established paternity of another man’s child in order to create grounds for avoiding criminal liability in another case. In relation to this incident, he is charged under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Two further episodes relate to events in 2014 and possible land fraud.

Semen Kryvonos, who at the time headed the registration service of the Obukhiv City and District Department of Justice, allegedly conspired with the chairman of the Starobezradychiv Village Council, Petro Horbachenko, and one other person. Investigators claim that, in return for a bribe of 72,000 dollars, they planned to allocate a plot of land to the businessman V. V. Ruzmatov free of charge. However, according to the investigation, the scheme failed to materialise as it was uncovered by law enforcement agencies.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, Semen Kryvonos is suspected of having instructed someone to find a valuer who was to prepare a false report on the monetary valuation of the plot of land. According to the investigation, its value was to be reduced from 345,000 to 150,000 hryvnias in order to legalise the transaction via a contract of sale.

In connection with these incidents, Kryvonos is charged under Part 4 of Article 368 and Part 3 of Article 27, as well as Part 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Later, Ruslan Kravchenko stated that the anti-corruption authorities’ denial that materials from criminal proceedings had been seized was untrue, and published the search report for the offices of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

According to him, the search report records the seizure of materials relating to criminal proceedings against NABU and SAPO staff, including search materials.

«It clearly states, in black and white, the seizure of materials from criminal proceedings concerning NABU and SAPO staff, including materials from the National Security and Defence Council,» said the Prosecutor General.

Scandal surrounding the dismissal of Prosecutor General Kravchenko

On the morning of 14 September, it emerged that Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko had stated that, prior to submitting his resignation, he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos. According to him, he had also signed a notice of suspicion against an individual close to the head of the SAP, Oleksandr Klymenko. He had left the country the night before.

On 8 September, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation. He described it as a deliberate political decision.

However, as recently as 7 September, Ruslan Kravchenko had stated that he had no plans to resign of his own accord. He said he was prepared to step down if such a decision were taken by the President, the Verkhovna Rada or his colleagues.

On the same day, «Ukrainska Pravda» reported on a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ruslan Kravchenko and the head of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group, Davyd Arakhamiia. According to the publication, the purpose of the conversation was to determine Ruslan Kravchenko’s future as Prosecutor General.

The scandal arose following the publication of materials relating to Operation «Carthage». In the recordings of those implicated in the investigation, a figure referred to as «The Boss» was mentioned, whom the Office of the Prosecutor General linked specifically to Ruslan Kravchenko. One of the individuals implicated in the case is Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation at the Office of the Prosecutor General. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) suspects him of organising a group that may have facilitated the operation of fraudulent call centres.

During the hearing to determine Serhii Kropyva’s pre-trial measure, a prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) stated that he may have co-ordinated renovation work on the house used by Ruslan Kravchenko in Kozin.

Journalists from Bihus.Info have established that the property in question is a house with an area of approximately 300 square metres. According to their information, the official owner of the property is a 73-year-old woman, and the house itself does not appear in the Prosecutor General’s declaration of assets. Ruslan Kravchenko explained that he rents this house. According to him, the premises required some finishing work and the installation of equipment; it was in this context that discussions took place regarding the work of tradespeople, the alarm system and household appliances.