SPO submitted requests to lift immunity from two MPs — subjects of Bihus.Info investigations

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office sent to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine for support and to the Verkhovna Rada a submission for giving consent to prosecute Members of Parliament Serhiy Skuratovskyi and Denys Dzenzerskyi.

This is stated in the official press release of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office:

“Under the procedural guidance of the SAP, detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine have collected sufficient evidence to bring the elected representatives to criminal liability for submitting knowingly false information in the declaration of a person empowered to perform state or local government functions, under Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.”

Recall that in the summer 2017 year, journalists of the program discovered that MP Serhiy Skuratovskyi had been failing to declare his wife’s construction business for three years. Moreover, after journalists asked about Ludmyla Skuratovska’s firm, the deputy’s wife’s name disappeared from the Ministry of Justice registry.

It was also found that the deputy registered his aides in the family apartment—as formal owners of a yacht club and hunting grounds.

Lawyers from the “Tysny” project (Bihus.Info) turned this information over to SAP and achieved the opening of a criminal proceeding.

Earlier journalist Nadiya Burdiey found that the deputy Skuratovskyi’s family owned English yachts until recently, with a total value of about 10 million UAH. And although the deputy himself claimed these yachts were “long sold,” his aides are now listed as owners of a yacht club and a yacht whose name sounds like Skuratovskyi’s daughter’s name.

This is described in the investigation “Quiet Haven” for the program “Our Money with Denys Biɡus.”

Also on 2017-th journalists from Bihus.Info found that MP Denys Dzenzerskyi does not declare business interests and billions in debts. This is described in the segment “Deputy-Creditor indebtedness” by Maryana Motrunich.

According to part 2 Article 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, bringing a deputy to criminal liability, detaining him, or imposing a preventive measure in the form of custody or house arrest cannot be done without the consent of the Verkhovna Rada.

In accordance with Article 218 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” a submission for consent to bring a deputy to criminal liability can only be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by the General Prosecutor (acting Prosecutor General).