Obstruction in the 'Clean City' Case
Lawyers representing Petro Olenych, the former deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA), have accused the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) of blocking their access to case materials in the 'Clean City' investigation. Although the pre-trial inquiry concluded on January 19, Olenych’s defense team still lacks full access to all records. As of May 28, they have reviewed only 92 out of an estimated 108 to 114 volumes.
The case file contains over 10 terabytes of data. Attorney Yevgen Solodko reported discovering a “spyware program” on a storage device provided by NABU. This finding has raised further concerns about the legality of the detectives’ actions. Solodko also stated:
“It is unclear to us how the number of volumes increased after the investigation was completed.” - Yevgen Solodko
Investigation Launched
In response to these events, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has opened a probe into the alleged obstruction of a lawyer’s work, under Part 2 of Article 397 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The case was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations on May 5. Solodko further noted that “everyone is aware of the political conflict between the KCSA and the Bankova” (the seat of the Ukrainian presidency), which may be influencing the situation.
The 'Clean City' case highlights ongoing tensions between state agencies, particularly the KCSA and NABU. This conflict could have repercussions for future investigations and law enforcement in Ukraine. Restrictions on accessing case materials may cast doubt on the transparency and impartiality of anti-corruption bodies, undermining public trust in the country’s justice system.