Acting Prosecutor General Refuted Links to Patrons Alleged by Him

The Prosecutor of Khmelnytskyi region, who is serving as acting Prosecutor General, publicly distanced himself from ties to influential Chernovtsy businessman Illya Pavlyuk, about which the media had previously reported. This is stated in the material by Glavkom “Personnel purge and the closing of the courtier’s ‘agency of influence’.” Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky on his first steps.

“You know, in life people always try to hang labels on others. When I worked at the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the institution was headed by Vyacheslav Sokolov. Back then they said that Kovalsky is Sokolov’s person. When I worked in Bukovina, I was linked to then Deputy Prosecutor General Ihor Mustetsa. They also said that my candidacy was allegedly recommended by Mustetsa by businessman Illya Pavlyuk. Well, I never saw this Pavlyuk in my life. I would tell you how Pavlyuk supposedly ‘helped’ me work in Chernihiv, but I won’t…”, he stressed.

Earlier, the media named Pavlyuk as one of the leaders of Vladimir Zelensky’s central campaign headquarters in 2019 year. Pavlyuk is also credited with influence over a small group of MPs from the Servant of the People party.

At the same time, in one of his previous conversations with Glavkom, the former Prosecutor General stated that Illya Pavlyuk is a friend of Ihor Mustetsa, who in 2020–2025 years held the position of Deputy Prosecutor General. Mustetsa is also a native of Chernihiv.

It was with Mustetsa’s appearance at the Prosecutor General’s Office that Kovalsky’s career as a prosecutor sharply advanced. In September 2020 year he took the post of Deputy Head of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, and later moved to Chernihiv, where he headed the regional prosecutor’s office.

As Glavkom wrote, Anton Kovalsky is from Vinnytsia. He has worked in the prosecutor’s office since 2010 year. In September 2020 year he became Deputy Head of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, and later headed the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. He later became the prosecutor of Khmelnytskyi region.

After the Karfagen corruption scandal, Kovalsky led the Office of the Prosecutor General—currently as acting head. He says he received the offer to temporarily head the Office of the Prosecutor General during a personal conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The head of state set him two tasks: ensure stable operation of the Office of the Prosecutor General and cleanse the system of unworthy people.