NABU Director Semen Kryvonos dismissed his first deputy Gizo Uglava, who actively criticized the bureau and claimed that detectives were biased during investigations. UNN analyzed what led to this decision and how it will affect the work of anti-corruption activists.
Gizo Uglava has become a key figure in the scandal of alleged disclosure of pre-trial investigation data by the bureau's representatives. As a result, NABU Director Semen Kryvonos suspended him from his duties and ordered a series of internal investigations.
Based on the results of the internal investigation, Kryvonos decided to dismiss Uglava from his position. As reported to the NABU, Uglava committed "a number of actions and statements of a negative nature aimed at personal and professional discrediting of the bureau employee who submitted the memo on possible facts of information leakage".
"These actions (the Head's pressure on the whistleblower - ed.) have made NABU employees aware of the possibility of negative consequences for whistleblowing, which is an unacceptable violation of the highest standards of ethics and integrity that should guide the work of NABU employees and senior management," the bureau emphasized.
At the same time, Uglava himself statedthat he would go to court to prove his case.
"Today, I, Gizo Uglava, First Deputy Director of the NABU, hand over my certificate and badge #001and complete my service in this important position," Uglava said.
He reminded that he had worked at NABU for 9 years, i.e. since the establishment of this anti-corruption body.
"I led key operations and investigations that led to the disclosure of major corruption schemes. Together with my team, we have introduced modern investigative methods and strengthened international cooperation, which has allowed NABU to become a recognized and effective agency... New challenges lie ahead, but my principles and beliefs remain unchanged, so the fight for justice is not over," Uglava said.
It is worth noting that after Uglava himself found himself on the other side of the investigation, he admittedthat the bureau was under threat of losing its independence, and detectives were under political pressure, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. In particular, under pressure from activists and the head of the Verkhovna Rada's anti-corruption committee, Anastasia Radina.
He also complained about the bias and partisanship of NABU detectives, and stated that the conclusions in the case against him regarding the leaks of information from the bureau were made long ago "without trial.
In addition, Uglava filed an application with the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption about a possible violation of anti-corruption legislation by the head of the bureau, Semen Kryvonos, and became a whistleblower. According to him, the NAPC has started monitoring and controlling the possible violation of anti-corruption legislation by the NABU director.
The dismissal of Gizo Uglava, who has openly stated that detectives are under political pressure and biased, will undoubtedly have serious consequences for the work of NABU. This dismissal could create a serious internal conflict and split among NABU employees. After all, Uglava's accusations against the bureau's leadership and accusations of leaking information indicate possible internal disagreements that affect the integrity of the team.
This situation undoubtedly affects public confidence in the work of anti-corruption agencies, which is already extremely low .
In addition, Uglava has already announced his intention to go to court, which could further escalate the conflict and cause new waves of criticism against NABU. Ultimately, this conflict could lead to changes in the approach to investigations within the bureau, and if Uglava's allegations prove to be true, it could also prompt a change in the NABU leadership.
Recall
Allegations of bias and political bias in the NABU have been made many times before, but the anti-corruption activists have not paid attention to them.
A good example is the case of anti-corruption activists against former Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan. He has repeatedly claimed that detectives were one-sided in their treatment of the case against him due to political bias. Both cases against him collapsed in the courts, but NABU did not officially apologize to the former minister for illegal criminal prosecution and damage to his business reputation.
There are also concerns about violations of the presumption of innocence by the NABU, as in the cases against Mykola Solskyi and MP Serhiy Kuzminykh.
The Kharkiv Human Rights Group also criticized NABU for statements that violate the presumption of innocence. They believe that the real reason for Solsky's prosecution is the reform of the land market in Ukraine.