The key facts
- Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky ordered an internal investigation within the office.
- The probe will examine whether prosecutors assisted in returning assets seized in cases involving call centers and the U420 network.
- According to the NABU version, at least 12 individuals, including SBU, police, and Prosecutor General's Office staff, are involved in the criminal scheme.
Internal investigation at the Prosecutor General's Office
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has launched an internal investigation into possible misconduct by its staff following the publication of new materials from the anti-corruption operation 'Carthage'. As reported by the agency's press service, the relevant order was signed by Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky. The start of the inspection was also announced in the Prosecutor General's Office Telegram channel, noting that the trigger was the materials from the second phase of the operation and media reports about possible assistance by unidentified prosecution staff in returning seized property (Gazeta.Ru).
What exactly will be investigated
The issue concerns the return of property that law enforcement agencies previously seized in criminal cases regarding the activities of fraudulent call centers and the U420 network. 'During the internal investigation, it will be checked whether prosecution staff could have used their official powers or status for private interests, influenced the official activities of other persons, or committed other unlawful acts,' the Prosecutor General's Office statement reads. The agency promised to take personnel or disciplinary actions if violations are confirmed, but emphasized that the investigation itself does not imply guilt of specific employees.
Context of the 'Carthage' operation
The inspection became a continuation of the scandal that erupted after the second phase of the 'Carthage' operation: on November 4, the NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office reported on a criminal organization that, according to investigators, ensured the operation of fraudulent call centers and other illegal enterprises in exchange for bribes to high-ranking law enforcement officials. According to NABU data, at least 12 people are involved in the scheme, including employees of the SBU, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General's Office; the organizer, according to the bureau's information, was a man previously convicted multiple times. Investigators believe that the protection provided by law enforcement agencies allowed the structure to also engage in drug trafficking, production of counterfeit cigarettes, and fake currency. Earlier, on October 22, a former employee of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine was already suspected of 'sheltering' fraudsters.
Public reaction
Ukrainian publicist Serhiy Marchenko, in a column for Gazeta.ua compared the country's power system to the mafia against the backdrop of the NABU investigation. In his opinion, the published materials indicate links between organized crime and law enforcement officials and politicians, while illegal enterprises operate under the cover of law enforcement agencies enjoying the patronage of government representatives. Marchenko also accused the entourage of Volodymyr Zelenskyy of ties with criminal structures — this is his personal assessment, not a conclusion of the investigation.
