NABUgate: Lawyers demand that NABU change the group of detectives - "from PR people to professionals"

Lawyers in the "NABUgate" case have issued a statement in which they not only criticize the actions of NABU detectives, but also point to their professional inability to conduct investigations within the law. The defenders appealed to the director of NABU, Semen Kryvonos, with a demand to change the current investigative group of detectives due to numerous procedural violations and to involve specialists who are "able to distinguish between operational activity and PR shows," — reports UNN with reference to the corresponding statement.

We need not detectives from the drama club, but real opponents within the legal process. So far, we see only amateur performances: wiretapping, media leaks and attempts to compensate for the lack of evidence and lack of jurisdiction with громких заголовками

According to them, the criminal proceedings against them were initiated after the illegal installation of wiretapping in the office, where lawyers discussed the defense strategy with clients — defendants in NABU cases. Further actions of detectives, according to the defenders, are not only accompanied by gross violations, but also indicate a conscious manipulation of public opinion.

The statement, in particular, states that detectives deliberately block access to the case materials, citing the risk of a "negative image" of NABU. Thus, according to lawyers, at the court hearing, detective Yaroslav Voronizhsky directly stated that the disclosure of materials could harm the reputation of the bureau.

"...NABU detectives are using the media coverage of this criminal proceeding to prohibit the court from providing the defense with copies of the case materials (in particular, video recordings of searches of suspects) due to the allegedly possible "infliction of a negative image" of NABU," the statement reads.

The lawyers also reminded that the State Bureau of Investigation opened criminal proceedings against NABU detectives under Part 2 of Art. 162, Part 1 of Art. 365 and Part 2 of Art. 397 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In addition, the European Court of Human Rights has accepted for consideration six applications from lawyers related to these proceedings.

The defense emphasizes:

• the case is accompanied by closed court decisions that are not published, but become available to individual journalists;

• lawyers are not allowed to access materials, citing the secrecy of the investigation, which makes the adversarial process impossible;

• publications in the media contain information that is available exclusively to the investigative team of detectives;

• the same "witnesses" appear in various procedural actions of NABU.

In this regard, lawyers demand:

• remove the current group of detectives;

• conduct an internal investigation into their actions;

• reformat the investigation towards real, not simulated, evidentiary work.

Let us remind you

The "NABUgate" case unfolded against the background of a conflict between NABU and a group of lawyers who are accused of unauthorized access to the Unified State Register of Court Decisions. Lawyers, in turn, claim that NABU detectives illegally wiretapped their office, which violates the guarantees of advocacy. Wiretapping devices were installed in the lawyer's office, where confidential negotiations were conducted with clients who are defendants in NABU cases. 

In addition, the defenders emphasize that NABU is investigating a case that is not within their jurisdiction (Article 376-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and is spreading false information in the media in order to give an artificial "scale" to a case that does not contain signs of corruption, damage to the state, or participation of high-ranking officials. According to sources, NABU admits behind the scenes that they are dealing with "the most influential lawyers in the country."