Kovalskyi: Eight dismissed from prosecutor's office following 'Carthage' operation

Investigation into former Prosecutor General's departure

Acting Prosecutor General Kovalskyi detailed the measures taken within the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) against the backdrop of circumstances being examined under the 'Carthage' operation. In particular, he confirmed that an internal investigation has been launched and is ongoing regarding the departure abroad of former Prosecutor General Ruslan Khravchenko.

«Висновків наперед робити не буду. Розслідування має дати відповіді на всі питання» (I will not draw conclusions in advance. The investigation must provide answers to all questions), Kovalskyi stated. Currently, compliance with the established procedure and circumstances related to the organisation of the relevant business trip are being verified.

Disciplinary proceedings and dismissals

Kovalskyi reported that the internal investigation into former Deputy Head of the OPG Department Aidyn Khudiyev has been completed. The relevant conclusion will be submitted to the Disciplinary Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office, and the position he held has been abolished.

A separate investigation is ongoing into Deputy Head of the OPG Department of International Cooperation Serhiy Kropyva, who was detained within the framework of the 'Carthage' case. Circumstances of his use of official authority for private interests and possible interference in the official activities of other prosecutors are being checked. A disciplinary complaint from the OPG General Inspection is already under review by the Disciplinary Committee, and his position has also been abolished.

In total, eight individuals mentioned in the context of the 'Carthage' operation have been dismissed from prosecutor's office bodies during the specified period. Seven of them worked directly in the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Personnel audit and structural reorganisation

Four of the dismissed individuals held administrative positions, including the Head of the Department of Information Technologies and the Head of the Directorate for Countering Criminal Offences in the Field of Cybersecurity. The Deputy Head of the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office was also dismissed, after which his position was abolished.

Currently, a reboot process is underway at the OPG. The Directorate for Countering Criminal Offences in the Field of Cybersecurity has been abolished. A reorganisation of the Department for Supervision of Law Enforcement by Bodies Engaged in Combating Organised Crime and Investment Protection has taken place: the investment protection direction has been separated into a distinct structure. The heads of these units have been dismissed, and new heads have been appointed for 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 did not hold prosecutor positions at the time of appointment without a competition.

«Ця процедура передбачена законом. Водночас вважаю правильним оцінити практику її застосування та вже здійснені за нею призначення» (This procedure is provided for by law. At the same time, I believe it is right to assess the practice of its application and the appointments already made under it), the acting Prosecutor General stated.

In this regard, a personnel audit of appointments to administrative positions in the OPG and regional prosecutor's offices is being conducted. Initial decisions have already been made: the head of a department and the head of a directorate within one of the departments have been dismissed from the OPG.

Changes in regional prosecutor's offices

In regional and district prosecutor's offices, 16 prosecutors have been dismissed from administrative positions. Among them are the heads of the Vyshhorod District Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv Oblast and the Vyzhnytsia District Prosecutor's Office of Chernivtsi Oblast. Orders have also been issued for the dismissal of deputies of the heads of the Khmelnytskyi and Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Offices.

Based on the results of working meetings and performance assessments, Kovalskyi decided to dismiss the heads of the Kharkiv and Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Offices from their administrative positions.

«Це лише перший етап. Далі — продовження кадрового аудиту, оцінка роботи керівників, зміни в управлінських процесах та посилення внутрішньої безпеки» (This is only the first stage. Next is the continuation of the personnel audit, assessment of managers' work, changes in management processes, and strengthening of internal security), he emphasised.

Next steps and restoring trust

In addition to internal changes, the Office of the Prosecutor General will work on strengthening cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and coordinating joint work.

«Як я бачу відновлення довіри до прокуратури? Точно не заявами про зміни, а послідовними, виваженими рішеннями і конкретними результатами» (How do I see the restoration of trust in the prosecutor's office? Certainly not through statements about changes, but through consistent, well-considered decisions and specific results), Kovalskyi concluded.

It is worth noting that 24 prosecutors underwent polygraph testing. The information obtained has been passed to the commission conducting the internal investigation.