Amid Verbytskyi scandal, Rada discusses dismissal of Kostin
27 June 2024 13:26
EXCLUSIVE
Last week, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin ignored the summons of MPs to the Verkhovna Rada. He was summoned to report on the assets of his deputy Dmytro Verbytskyi, whose investigators of the Skhemy programme found evidence of alleged illicit enrichment. In order to avoid reporting on this topic to the parliamentarians, Kostin referred to the lack of conclusions of the internal investigation into Verbytskyi, as well as to the inspection by the NAPC and NABU. At the same time, the Verkhovna Rada argues that under any circumstances Kostin had no right to ignore the summons.
“There can be no situation where you can break the law. When the Verkhovna Rada, by a majority of its constitutional composition, summons him to report to the Verkhovna Rada, and [Kostin] says it’s not the right time. This cannot be the case. Every official must understand that if they are summoned to report, they must comply with the law,”
– mP Mykola Velychkovych told Komersant ukrainsky
When asked if the information in some media about the start of collecting signatures in the Rada for Kostin’s resignation was true, Velichkovych said:
“I have not yet heard about this initiative. But I believe that after he did not appear in the Verkhovna Rada, it is absolutely right.”
Several other interviewed MPs from the EU and the Voice party also said they would be ready to sign for the Prosecutor General’s dismissal.
The fact that Kostin’s chair is shaking has been discussed for months. However, the corruption scandal with his confidant Verbytskyi may just become a trigger for political personnel decisions.
“If Kostin is dismissed this time, it will mean two things. First, Bankova has put together a personnel puzzle – they want to vote for the Prosecutor General in a package with new ministers. Secondly, the President’s Office has shed its toxic political ballast,”
– says Oleksandr Lemenov, Chairman of the Board of StateWatch, adding:
“And there is even information that Kostin has already been chosen for a further ‘fate’ – to be transferred to diplomatic work.”
MPs from the Servant of the People party do not predict the exact date when the vote for the Prosecutor General’s resignation may take place, which will automatically mean the replacement of his entire team. However, they do admit in their conversations that the Rada is “preparing for personnel votes”.
To recap, according to sources
