Two prosecutors were served with suspicion notices: details of scandals in Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions
24 July 14:27
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said that today, July 24, two employees of the prosecutor’s office – one current and one former – were served with suspicions of committing crimes, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“As Prosecutor General, I am uncomfortable writing about crimes within the prosecutor’s office. But it is even worse to remain silent or turn a blind eye. I promised not to cover up for anyone. Today, two prosecutors – one current and one former – have been notified of suspicion,” Kravchenko said on Telegram.
Suspicion of a prosecutor from Chernihiv region
The deputy head of one of the district prosecutor’s offices in Chernihiv region was served a notice of suspicion of organizing the theft of particularly important documents by forging official documents. He is charged with a number of articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 357 and Part 1 of Article 366.
According to the investigation, the prosecutor was involved in a scheme aimed at concealing the facts of illegal appropriation of state agricultural land by officials of one of the largest agricultural holdings in the region.
In particular, the suspect organized the theft of land management documentation and documents on land privatization. This happened at the stage of transferring the materials to an expert institution. During 2023-2024, the prosecutor instructed investigators of the police department to seize the original documents from notaries and regulatory authorities.
Instead of genuine evidence, a box with newspapers and magazines published by the same prosecutor’s office where the defendant worked was sent for examination. To conceal the substitution, the prosecutor and his accomplice forged a cover letter that allegedly confirmed the transfer of the original materials to the expert institution.
The final legal qualification of his actions will be provided after completion of all necessary investigative actions.
Ex-prosecutor from Cherkasy: abuse of influence and data leakage
The former first deputy head of one of the district prosecutor’s offices in Cherkasy region also received a notice of suspicion. His actions are classified under Part 2 of Article 369-2 and Part 2 of Article 387 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – abuse of influence and disclosure of pre-trial investigation data.
The investigation established that in 2021, this prosecutor, in the interests of an acquaintance, asked an investigator from another district to register a criminal proceeding and conduct a number of investigative actions in it: interrogations, seizure of documents, etc. He then passed this information on to the interested party. The prosecutor received an undue benefit for his actions.
Thus, the ex-prosecutor deliberately used his official connections and powers to promote the interests of an unauthorized person and for his own enrichment.
Preventive measures and further actions
The Prosecutor General’s Office has already filed a motion with the court to impose a measure of restraint on both suspects.
The pre-trial investigation in these criminal proceedings is carried out by the State Bureau of Investigation.
As a reminder, according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proved in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict of guilty.
