Ukrainian anti-corruption agency claims three detectives were beaten during searches

Semen Kryvonos, Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), has claimed that three of his employees were beaten during searches carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on 21 July and attempts to record their injuries were obstructed.

Source: a briefing by NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko in Kyiv

Quote from Kryvonos: "Three employees who were not detained but were subjected to searches suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity [on 21 July – ed.]. Yet all day yesterday, they were unable to have their injuries documented because medical institutions had been persuaded to refuse to provide treatment to our detectives.

Based on operational intel, this interference came from a division head within the Kyiv City State Administration…

Yesterday, after the searches, the detectives – who had not been detained, and against whom force had been used – approached several medical facilities only to face refusals or reluctance to record the extent of their injuries.

According to our findings, pressure was exerted on the directors of these medical institutions to deny NABU employees the chance to document their injuries."

Details: Kryvonos also noted that pre-trial restraints are being selected for the NABU employees who were served with notices of suspicion.

Commenting on the suspicions against his staff, he suggested an intent to intimidate either himself or SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko, though he does not rule out that they may have been legitimate investigative actions.

He further asserted that while he supports the system "clearing itself out" and would act if any of his subordinates were collaborating with the Russians, this must not serve as a pretext to dismantle the independence of NABU and SAPO.

Background:

• The Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Committee on Law Enforcement has backed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure that would make the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) – currently independent anti-corruption institutions – dependent on the decisions of the prosecutor general.
• On 21 July, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office conducted approximately 80 searches targeting 19 employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in various oblasts of Ukraine.
• The security forces did not have court warrants to carry out the searches, but they do not consider this a violation of the law because obtaining warrants could have "caused information leaks" and "undermined the conduct of special operations".
• The NABU detectives have been charged with treason, illegal trade with Russia, and corruption in the interests of oligarchs. Meanwhile, the State Bureau of Investigations has stepped up its efforts looking into materials on road accidents involving NABU employees that occurred several years ago.
• Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General have also launched an inspection into SAPO’s handling of state secrets. The inspection applies to NABU employees who have access to state secrets and the conduct of covert investigative actions.

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