President Demands Swift Dismissal of Prosecutor General
On the morning of September 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly called on the Verkhovna Rada to promptly dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Addressing the parliament, Zelensky insisted that Kravchenko’s only option is to step down and urged lawmakers to back this move.
“If he sees this as political pressure, then he should call it exactly that,” the president stated.
Escalating Tensions Within Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Agencies
The situation intensified after Kravchenko issued suspicion charges against Semen Kryvonos, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). According to Kravchenko, Kryvonos is suspected of:
- forging documents to secure illicit gains;
- engaging in fraudulent adoption schemes.
Additionally, there is a separate suspicion involving an individual close to the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), accused of influencing a judge from the High Anti-Corruption Court and assisting in evading military mobilization.
Both NABU and SAP have denied handing any official suspicion to Kryvonos.
“As of now, no suspicion has been formally served to NABU Director Semen Kryvonos,” NABU confirmed.They also emphasized that no criminal cases referenced by Kravchenko have been seized, nor have they ever sought or accepted immunity for their staff or others.
In the midst of an ongoing NABU investigation into a criminal network within the Prosecutor General’s Office that was shielding fraudulent call centers, Kravchenko resigned. In his resignation letter, he called on Kryvonos and SAP head Oleksandr Klymenko to also step down.
Meanwhile, the conflict between the anti-corruption bodies and the Prosecutor General’s Office persists, with efforts to subordinate NABU and SAP under the Prosecutor General’s Office intensifying since last summer.
The deepening rift between Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office and anti-corruption agencies has raised public concerns about the independence of these watchdog institutions. President Zelensky’s demand for Kravchenko’s dismissal may reflect a broader push to reform the justice system and strengthen anti-corruption efforts. Observers should closely monitor these developments, as they could significantly shape the future of Ukraine’s anti-corruption policies.
As the conflict between the anti-corruption agencies and the Prosecutor General's Office escalates, recent developments have revealed troubling evidence of surveillance on key anti-corruption figures. This situation raises significant concerns about the integrity of the ongoing investigations. For further details on these alarming findings, you can read more about the surveillance materials uncovered during a search of the Deputy Prosecutor General's office here.