A public conflict to be brewing between the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office

A public conflict seems to be brewing between the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. NABU has officially confirmed an investigation into a possible information leak.

Yesterday, the media reported that Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the police were conducting searches at NABU following the information leak related to the “Great Construction” project. However, NABU states that it is investigating the case and notes that “almost all investigative actions were carried out directly by Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office prosecutors, including with the involvement of National Police operatives.”

In its statement, NABU was quite critical of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

“We inform our colleagues at SAPO that NABU has always had and still has sufficient resources to conduct investigations. NABU always guarantees an independent, impartial, and comprehensive pre-trial investigation and expects the same approach from our main partners,” the statement reads.

Last year, NABU conducted a search of Yuriy Holyk, the coordinator of the national “Great Construction” program. According to media reports, the case concerned the embezzlement of funds during road construction in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Additionally, it was reported that a former deputy head of the Presidential Office was served a notice of suspicion for illegal enrichment. According to the investigation, from 2020 to 2022, Smirnov acquired assets worth 17.1 million UAH, while having savings and official income during this period amounting to more than 1.3 million UAH. Thus, the difference between the value of the acquired property and the official’s funds was 15.7 million UAH.