Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies target Prosecutor General’s Office official linked to fraudulent call centers

Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), have launched an operation targeting a criminal organization led by an official from the Prosecutor General's Office. The group is allegedly involved in protecting a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering assets.

Fraudulent call centers have become a major organized crime issue in Ukraine, with authorities investigating numerous operations and collaborating with international partners. NABU announced the operation on September 4, with further details to be released later. Deputy head Serhii Kropyva of the Prosecutor General's Office's Department of International Legal Cooperation was reportedly detained, and investigators are conducting searches at the office.

NABU and SAPO carried out the operation, but the specific allegations against Kropyva have not been detailed publicly, and his detention has not been officially confirmed by the Prosecutor General's Office. The Prosecutor General's Office stated that the circumstances surrounding the alleged wrongdoing must be established by investigators, and the employee will be suspended from official duties during the pre-trial investigation.

Ukraine has been targeting fraudulent call centers, with over 1,050 searches and the shutdown of around 340 centers comprising more than 5,000 operator positions in the past year. Ukrainian prosecutors have participated in 37 international joint investigation teams and are currently investigating 147 criminal proceedings related to the activity.

Over 183 people have been notified of suspicion, with indictments against 93 people sent to court, causing tens of millions of hryvnias in established losses. Kropyva's previous positions include serving in Ukraine's Cyber Police, heading its Kyiv department, and being first deputy head under former Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.

He also held a position as deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration under Oleh Kiper before joining the Prosecutor General's Office. The investigation is ongoing, with the allegations yet to be adjudicated by a court.