On the morning of September 25, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reported that employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) were conducting investigative actions against former detectives of the Bureau.
This is stated in a statement by the NABU press service.
They say that their former detectives are now working at “Ukrzaliznytsia”.
NABU suggests that the SBUʼs actions are related to their previous work in investigative groups that exposed organized crime groups at state-owned enterprises and government agencies, in particular SBU.
"Such actions may indicate increased systemic pressure on the independence of anti-corruption institutions," the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.
Later, SBU reported the start of "a series of court-sanctioned searches in criminal proceedings regarding abuses in the field of freight transportation at ʼUkrzaliznytsiaʼ".
They say that investigative and operational measures are carried out exclusively against “Ukrzaliznytsia” officials and private entrepreneurs who are parties to the relevant criminal proceedings.
"The searches of ʼUkrzaliznytsiaʼ officials are not related to "pressure on the independence of anti-corruption institutions," as their representatives stated today. All measures are taking place in compliance with the legislation of Ukraine," SBU emphasized.
- On July 21, law enforcement officers conducted mass searches at NABU and SAPO. NABU reported at the time that the searches were conducted without a court order.
- In particular, one of the heads of the Bureauʼs interregional detective departments Ruslan Maghamedrasulov was detained at that time.
- NABU reported almost 70 searches involving 15 of its employees. They stated that most of them were due to the employeesʼ involvement in a traffic accident (three employees were later reported as suspicious for this).
- On September 2, NABU declared the suspicion of illicit enrichment and false declarations against the former head of the Cybersecurity Department of SBU, Brigadier General Ilya Vityuk. The Security Service responded to the accusations. They stated that they perceive the actions of NABU and SAPO as a response to the fact that SBU detained several employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in July on suspicion of trading with Russia.
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