The mass media reported that Iryna Venediktova does not agree with her suspension. She denies it
- Author:
- Kostia Andreikovets
- Date:
The "Ukrainian Pravda" publication, citing sources, reported that Iryna Venediktova did not agree with her removal from the position of the Prosecutor General and was at her workplace today, July 18. She allegedly told her subordinates that she was fired in violation of the law and therefore does not recognize her removal from her position.
According to the media, at 10:00 a.m. Acting Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko wanted to hold a working meeting. Venediktova, who was in the office, expressed a desire to take part in it, but Symonenko was against it, and the meeting did not take place. Despite this, he met with the deputy prosecutor general and stated that personnel changes are not planned.
Venediktova stated that the journalistsʼ information was false.
“This is a lie handed to you like a hot cake by uninformed sources. If you insist, I will tell you how it happened: in the morning, I actually gathered the leadership of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office with the aim of officially presenting Symonenko as a person whom others should perceive as a leader and help in every possible way. After that, the Acting Prosecutor General held his meeting where work issues were discussed without my participation," she wrote on Facebook.
- On the evening of July 17, two presidential decrees were issued — on the removal of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and on the removal of SBU head Ivan Bakanov from his duties. Zelensky clarified that they were not fired. The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office and the SBU will conduct official investigations and inspections. After that, the president will decide whether to submit documents to the parliament about the dismissal of department heads. Bakanov was removed, and Venediktova was suspended so that they could not influence the investigation. For the time being, the duties of the Prosecutor General will be performed by Venediktovaʼs deputy Oleksiy Symonenko, and Vasyl Malyuk, the first deputy, will head SBU.