Kovalskyi: 8 dismissed from prosecutor's office, 24 prosecutors took polygraph

Start of systemic changes in the Office of the Prosecutor General

Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi presented the results of the first stage of work on the reorganisation and personnel audit in the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG). He emphasised that after taking office, he needed time to analyse the situation and hold meetings with department heads to speak not only about his vision but also about specific decisions.

“The main thing: the prosecutor's office cannot demand accountability from others if it is not ready to demand it from itself,” Kovalskyi noted, adding that prosecutor's offices continue to perform their functions and have professional teams with concrete results. However, where questions arise regarding integrity or the quality of management, appropriate personnel decisions must be made.

Investigations within the Carthage case

A separate part of the statement concerns measures taken in connection with the circumstances being examined within the framework of Operation Carthage. According to the acting prosecutor general, an internal investigation into former deputy head of an OPG department, Aidyn Khudiyev, has been completed. The conclusion will be transferred to the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors, and the position he held has been abolished.

An internal investigation into the departure abroad of former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has been initiated and is ongoing. The circumstances of compliance with the procedure and the organisation of the business trip are being clarified. Kovalskyi stressed that he is not making preliminary conclusions, as the investigation must provide answers to all questions.

An internal investigation into Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the OPG Department of International Cooperation, who was detained within the Carthage case, is also ongoing. The circumstances of his use of official powers for private interests and possible interference in the official activities of other prosecutors are being checked. A disciplinary complaint from the OPG General Inspection regarding him is under review by the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors, and his position has been abolished.

Strengthening internal security and dismissals

Strengthening internal security became an important area of work. In total, 24 prosecutors underwent polygraph testing, and the information obtained was transferred to the commission conducting the internal investigation.

Eight individuals were dismissed from prosecutor's offices, who were mentioned in the context of Operation Carthage. Seven of them worked directly in the OPG. Four individuals were dismissed from administrative positions, including the head of the Department of Information Technologies and the head of the department for countering criminal offences in the field of cybersecurity. The deputy head of the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office was also dismissed, after which the position was abolished.

Reorganisation of departments and personnel audit

As part of the OPG “reset”, the department for countering criminal offences in the field of cybersecurity was abolished. The Department of Supervision over Compliance with the Law by Bodies Engaged in Combating Organised Crime and Protection of Investments was reorganised: the investment protection direction was separated into a separate unit. The heads of these structures were dismissed, and new individuals were appointed to the positions of heads of the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Organisational and Control Activities, Legal and Analytical Support.

Kovalskyi reported that it was decided not to use the opportunity provided by the transitional provisions of Law No. 4555 to appoint individuals who were not prosecutors at the time of appointment without a competition. Although such a procedure is provided for by law, the acting prosecutor general believes it is correct to evaluate the practice of its application. Therefore, an audit of appointments to administrative positions in the OPG and regional prosecutor's offices is being conducted. The legality of the procedure is not questioned, but each appointment must be justified in terms of professionalism and the suitability of the person for the position.

The first results of the audit are already available: in the OPG, the head of a department and the head of a division within one of the departments were dismissed. In regional and district prosecutor's offices, 16 prosecutors were dismissed from administrative positions, including the heads of the Vyshhorod District Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv Oblast and the Vyzhnytsia District Prosecutor's Office of Chernivtsi Oblast. Orders for the dismissal of deputy heads of the Khmelnytskyi and Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Offices were also issued.

Assessment of leadership performance

Work with the heads of regional prosecutor's offices became a separate area. Based on the results of meetings and an assessment of their activities, a decision was made to dismiss the heads of the Kharkiv and Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Offices from administrative positions. Working meetings continue.

Anton Kovalskyi emphasised that these changes are not a story about personalities or personnel decisions for the sake of decisions. A leadership position entails responsibility for the result, for the team, and for decisions that affect the reputation of the entire institution. “Where there is a result and professional work, there will be support. Where there are justified questions, I will make appropriate decisions,” he added.

The acting prosecutor general noted that this is only the first stage. Further, the continuation of the personnel audit, assessment of the work of heads, changes in management processes, and strengthening of internal security are planned. Work is also planned to strengthen cooperation between the prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies. “How do I see the restoration of trust in the prosecutor's office? Definitely not with statements about changes, but with consistent, well-considered decisions and concrete results,” Anton Kovalskyi concluded.