Former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who left Ukraine more than a month ago under the pretext of an official business trip and has still not returned, has accused the heads of NABU and SAPO of organising “unlawful violent acts” against him. NABU called the accusations false.
In a Telegram post on 28 October, Kravchenko claimed that in September he received information that a “group of individuals who were supposed to carry out unlawful violent acts” had allegedly been sent after him to Vienna. He said the group was allegedly requested by the heads of the anti-corruption agencies, while orders to the group were given by the President’s Office.
At the same time, the former prosecutor general said he does not have reliable information about who gave the order, and he did not specify what exactly he meant.
“As is known, two serving military personnel from the HUR from the so-called ‘Artan’ group were detained. Their commander, Viktor Torkotiuk, was also in Austria at the time his subordinates were detained. One of those detained is a former NABU employee who worked in the external surveillance unit. Back in September I received information that a group of individuals had been sent after me, who were supposed to carry out unlawful violent acts against me,” the former prosecutor general claimed.
Kravchenko also mentioned investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach.
“In Austria, an investigation is ongoing into four individuals, including two representatives of Ukrainska Pravda. Mykhailo Tkach was in Monaco on the eve of the incident involving HUR officers (this refers to an attempted attack on businessman Yermolaiev. – Ed.), and also in Vienna during the period when HUR officers were detained. The legal assessment of these circumstances, the link between those involved and the nature of their activities in both cases falls within the competence of European law enforcement agencies,” Kravchenko said.
NABU’s position
The Bureau described Kravchenko’s statement as an attempt to secure protection for himself in Austria.
“NABU and SAPO view the statement by the former prosecutor general, who hastily left the territory of Ukraine after the implementation of the NABU and SAPO operation ‘Carthage’, as an attempt to secure protection in the country where he is staying. The statement about NABU and SAPO’s involvement in any of the events mentioned does not correspond to reality,” the Bureau commented.
Context
On 5 September, NABU and SAPO exposed a criminal organisation operating within the Prosecutor General’s Office that was covering up illegal call centres in exchange for bribes. The main suspect in the case, dubbed “Carthage”, is Serhii Kropyva, a deputy head of one of the departments. He is currently being held in custody along with other suspects.
On 14 September, Kravchenko unexpectedly announced that he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos. It later emerged that he reported this only after he had left Ukraine on a “business trip” to Paris. Instead of Paris, the former official ultimately ended up in Austria — a country from which extradition to Ukraine is complicated.
Only after his departure did the president suspend him, and the Verkhovna Rada supported his full dismissal. The Prosecutor General’s Office is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances of his departure.
Soon after leaving, Kravchenko began making accusatory statements against the anti-corruption agencies and the president.
Journalists from Ukrainska Pravda reported that Kravchenko is in Austria. On 9 October, Austrian law enforcement detained the outlet’s representatives, Mykhailo Tkach and cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko. Their phones were taken and they were held for more than half a day; force was used against Bondarenko.
The Vienna prosecutor’s office said that the arrest of Ukrainian journalist Mykhailo Tkach in Austria was not ordered because of his profession, but because he was seen at a location that was also being watched by two men suspected of espionage.
In total, four Ukrainians were detained. The journalists were released, but the other two citizens — as of the publication of the news on 13 October — were not. Austrian law enforcement did not specify who exactly was detained, so there is no evidence to confirm Kravchenko’s claim that they were HUR representatives. There is also no information indicating that Viktor Torkotiuk is involved.