Ukraine's Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office conducts internal investigation into deputy head Syniuk after UP report

Anastasia Protz, Ukrainska Pravda - 14 November, 12:13

Oleksandr Klymenko. Photo: UP

Oleksandr Klymenko, Head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), has said that SAPO is conducting an internal investigation into his deputy, Andrii Syniuk, which could result in disciplinary or criminal action.

Source: Klymenko speaking to Ukrainska Pravda (UP)

Details: Journalist Mykhailo Tkach mentioned during a UP broadcast that this week the UP newsroom published a report about SAPO Deputy Head Andrii Syniuk. The report states that Syniuk repeatedly met with people who may be connected to Tymur Mindich, the co-owner of Kvartal 95 and an associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition, UP established that Syniuk had access to materials from certain criminal proceedings.

Tkach asked Klymenko whether Syniuk is being checked out as part of the internal investigation and what his position at the agency will be going forward.

Klymenko replied that the material published in the Ukrainska Pravda story will be examined in the course of the internal investigation. He pointed out that it is not a rapid process, as it requires all the available data to be analysed and consolidated. Klymenko said SAPO will provide an answer as to how the review will conclude, including within the framework of possible criminal proceedings, where, he emphasised, there are significantly more instruments for action.

Quote: "We can do many things that cannot be done during an internal investigation. But the standard of proof of guilt for a disciplinary offence by any employee is significantly lower than in a criminal proceeding regarding the commission of a crime. So we are working on this, we are not stopping – active work continues."

More details: The SAPO head stressed that the investigation is ongoing and its outcome may have both disciplinary and criminal consequences.

Background:

Ukrainska Pravda recently published a report (English translation coming soon) showing that SAPO Deputy Head Andrii Syniuk repeatedly met with Oleksii Meniv, a lawyer who journalists say may be close to Tymur Mindich, the co-owner of Kvartal 95 and an associate of President Zelenskyy.
On 10 November, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported that they had exposed a large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector and released audio recordings. Earlier, UP sources reported that NABU was conducting searches at the homes of Tymur Mindich and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko (who has been suspended as of 12 November). UP sources also reported that Mindich left Ukraine hours before the searches.
On 11 November, journalists named all the suspects who had received notices of suspicion from NABU in the investigation into large-scale corruption within Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom. An investigative reporting project by Skhemy found that the suspects were Tymur Mindich (referred to as "Karlson" on the NABU recordings), former adviser to the energy minister Ihor Myroniuk ("Rocket"), Energoatom executive director for safety Dmytro Basov ("Tenor"), Oleksandr Tsukerman ("Sugarman"), Ihor Fursenko ("Ryoshyk"), Lesia Ustymenko and Liudmyla Zorina.
Five individuals on the list of suspects have been detained. Two – Mindich and Tsukerman – have left Ukraine.
Basov, Myroniuk, Fursenko, Ustymenko and Zorina have been assigned pre-trial restrictions with the option of bail. It was later reported that the High Anti-Corruption Court has received bail for Lesia Ustymenko and Liudmyla Zorina, the employees of the back office involved in money laundering around Energoatom.
On 13 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a decision by the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions against businessmen Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman.

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