Prosecutor General's Office official organized cover for call centers, involved law enforcement – NABU

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) revealed the infiltration of a criminal organization that protected fraudulent call centers, under the direction of an official from the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO). This organization systematically received illicit benefits from the call centers and laundered millions of assets.

The PGO official, who was one of the leaders of a structural unit within the PGO, established and led the criminal organization in mid-2025. He enlisted the help of both active PGO employees and unofficial individuals close to him in committing the illegal activity.

Five members of the criminal organization have been identified thus far. These members created a system to receive bribes in exchange for not interfering with the operations of fraudulent call centers, which were responsible for widespread fraud against Ukrainian citizens and foreigners.

The illegally obtained funds were laundered through various schemes. Over UAH 20 million was spent on purchasing real estate, jewelry, and other valuable items. Over UAH 12 million of assets were laundered by re-registering them to third parties, concealing the true ownership. This involved properties in a popular apartment complex near the Carpathians. Furthermore, more than UAH 10 million was deposited into the relatives' bank accounts of the group members, posing as legal income from business activities.

The preliminary legal classification of the case includes sections 255 (creation, leadership of a criminal community or organization, or participation in it) and 209 (legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.

Ongoing investigations are underway to identify other possible participants in the criminal organization. A joint special operation between NABU and SAPO, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, was reported to have exposed this criminal network. The Prosecutor General's Office expressed willingness to assist anti-corruption authorities in the investigation, which involves the potential involvement of one of its employees.

This individual was temporarily suspended from official duties pending the outcome of the pre-trial investigation. Over the past year, about 340 fraudulent call centers and more than 5,000 operator stations were shut down, with 1,050 searches conducted. The involvement of 37 international joint investigation teams coordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol was also part of these efforts.