A member of the SAPO staff selection commission reported an attempt by NABU Director Kryvonos to disrupt its work
Kyiv • UNN
Oleksii Shevchuk accused Semen Kryvonos of interfering in the work of the SAPO competition commission. He called on law enforcement agencies to investigate these actions.
Lawyer Oleksii Shevchuk stated that the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Semen Kryvonos, had attempted to interfere in the work of the Selection Commission for choosing employees of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, of which Shevchuk is a member, UNN reports.
Shevchuk believes that Kryvonos's interference is an attempt to bring the commission under his control.
"Kryvonos personally prepared a letter full of media fakes about me as a public figure, lawyer, and independent member of the commission responsible for selecting the deputy head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. He did not verify all the facts that had been deemed unreliable information by the Supreme Court, and sent this letter to the head of the commission selecting the deputy head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. He signed the letter not as a private citizen, but as the head of an entire body responsible for anti-corruption policy in the country, forgetting that he is the elected director of an independent body and not an independent party to these legal relations," Shevchuk stated.
The lawyer believes that Kryvonos's actions contain signs of criminal offenses and threaten the independence of the commission as a body that is supposed to form an independent Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
"And they create the impression of complete impunity for the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau," Shevchuk added.
According to the commission member, Kryvonos's objective is clear to him – "it is an attempt to seize complete control over all power in the country and damage the image of the law enforcement system in the eyes of international partners." At the same time, Shevchuk does not rule out that Kryvonos was misled by some civil society activists who probably wrote the letter.
"I am forced to inform the President of the European Commission and the duly accredited extraordinary ambassadors about these circumstances," Shevchuk stated.
During his address, Shevchuk also appealed to the heads of the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Bureau of Investigation to establish why Kryvonos is trying to disrupt the work of the independent international commission and the competition to select the deputy head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, as well as to the Prosecutor General, since Kryvonos has exceeded his powers.
"I also ask the Foreign Intelligence Service to determine whether he is an agent of foreign intelligence services and whether there is a Russian Federation connection here, since I recently reported to the President of Ukraine on the progress in preparing a personnel formation center for specialized tribunals and the punishment of Russian criminals," Shevchuk emphasized.
He also asked the Verkhovna Rada's law enforcement committee to establish a temporary investigative commission, hear the NABU chief's rationale for such actions, and ensure a transparent investigation of these facts.
"And most importantly, I demand an urgent response from the Bar Council of Ukraine regarding guarantees of my rights as a representative of the justice system on an independent international commission. I would like to remind Mr. Kryvonos that he represents a body responsible for anti-corruption policy and combating corruption, but by no means for the work of independent international commissions," Shevchuk added.
The lawyer believes that Kryvonos acted deliberately, knowingly, directly, and personally, with the aim of bringing the commission under his control.
It should be noted
The Selection Commission for administrative positions in the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office began its work on July 6. The commission consists of six members, three of whom were nominated by the Council of Prosecutors and three more by international organizations.