The 18-Year-Old Case: Kravchenko Explained the Suspicion to the Head of NABU

UNIAN, UNIAN photo. The Attorney General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko released the first part of a video in which he explained his decision to sign a notice of suspicion against the head of NABU and a person close to the head of SAP.

The video states that in June 2009, the Golosiivskyi district court of Kyiv considered the case against the current head of NABU, Semyon Kryvonos, for vote buying. According to the investigation, in 2008 Kryvonos allegedly bribed students of Kyiv Linguistic University, as well as Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, so that they would vote for a particular party.

The video also notes that the matter about this episode was raised during the competitive interview for the position of director of NABU. Then Kryvonos called this case a 'myth,' adding that he knew nothing about any search.

However, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, at that time Kravchenko developed a criminal plan to avoid criminal liability. The video shows a detective interviewing a woman who says Kryvonos fictitiously adopted her child.

'The criminal plan of Serhiy Kryvonos consisted of creating an artificial basis, under which he would have the right to fall under amnesty. One of such legal grounds at that time was the existence of a minor child,' the video states.

The investigation states that Kryvonos implemented this plan, after which he filed a petition with the court for amnesty. The court approved the petition, releasing Kryvonos from criminal liability.

Against this backdrop, the video notes, Kryvonos was charged under part 2 (the forging or issuing of knowingly forged official documents by persons performing professional activities) and part 3 (Actions provided for by part 1 (forging for use/sale) or part 2 of this article, if committed repeatedly or by prior agreement of a group of persons) of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

What preceded this

As a reminder, in the morning of 14 September Kravchenko stated that he signed a notice of suspicion against the head of NABU and a person close to the head of SAP. Later it became known that the acting Prosecutor General left Ukraine. He announced that he was on a "foreign business trip."

These actions were sharply criticized by President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said that now Kravchenko has only one path — to resign from his post.

Head of the "Servant of the People" faction in the parliament, Dmytro Razumkov later said that the vote on Kravchenko’s dismissal in the Rada would take place tomorrow, in 15 September. Later, the president’s adviser on communications, Dmytro Lytvyn, said that the president’s submission for the resignation of the attorney general Kryvonos had already been submitted to the Rada.