The Security Service confirmed the presence of Russian passports of the former deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Serhiy Semochko. Journalists first wrote about it back in 2018.
This is stated in the SBUʼs response to Bihus.Infoʼs request.
The Security Service confirmed that Semochkoʼs wife Tetiana, her daughter and son from his first marriage, as well as Semochkoʼs son-in-law, had Russian passports.
The SBU also published the numbers of their Russian passports. The wife and son-in-law have the same numbers that journalists wrote about five years ago. The other two have new Russian passport numbers.
- Semochko was appointed first deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service on July 31, 2018. And in less than a year — in April 2019 — Poroshenko dismissed him from his post.
- In 2018, journalists of the program "Our money with Denys Bihus" reported that the relatives of Semochko, the deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, have Russian passports issued on the territory of occupied Crimea, as well as several elite real estate properties in Kozyna near Kyiv.
- After the investigation was made public, the SBU opened criminal proceedings under the article "treason" against Semochko. In addition, the SBU confirmed the Russian citizenship of his wife.
- Poroshenko is suspected of the fact that, as president, in 2018, he "issued a clearly criminal order, with which he encouraged the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Yehor Bozhek to exceed his power and official powers. Bozhok allegedly appointed Serhiy Semochka to the position of Deputy Chairman of the Intelligence on Poroshenkoʼs order.
- In August 2021, Semochko was able to resume his post through the court because he was fired illegally — while on sick leave. But the trials are still going on. In January 2023, his case was accepted for consideration by the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, where 17 judges will consider the lawsuit. The date of the hearing is still unknown.