Criminal Network Led by Prosecutor General’s Office Authority Exposed by NABU, SAPO

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) are investigating a criminal network allegedly led by an individual from the Prosecutor General's Office. According to NABU's statement on Friday, September 4th, the operation targets a scheme where the individual allegedly provided protection for fraudulent call centers while also aiding in money laundering.

Serhii Kropyva, head of the Cyber Department at the Prosecutor General's Office, has been detained as part of the investigation. Kropyva's appointment to his current position has been questioned, as he was appointed without a competitive selection process in 2022 by then-Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who was his former colleague.

Venediktova also created a new department focused on economic crimes and cybersecurity, placing Kropyva as its head without a selection process despite the position's significant authority over sensitive law enforcement functions. Kropyva previously served as head of the agency's Kyiv department and as deputy head of the Odesa Oblast State Administration.

This case joins a series of anti-graft investigations targeting senior bank officials, current and former lawmakers, and former officials from the Presidential Office. Operation "Forrest Gump" was announced by NABU and SAPO on August 19th, linked to a previous probe called "Operation Midas" involving Tymur Mindich, former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, and former presidential chief Iryna Mudra.

Mudra was removed from her position shortly after the probe's announcement. Several individuals, including former deputy presidential chief Vadym Stolar, former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and former Sense Bank officials Mykola Hladyshenko and Oleh Stupak, have been linked to the money-laundering investigation.