Prosecutor general Kravchenko denies call-center protection claims, orders reviews

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has dismissed claims that his office protected illegal call centers, ordering internal reviews at the Prosecutor General’s Office. Employees involved in such cases will now undergo polygraph tests. Kravchenko denied giving instructions to facilitate illegal call center operations or use his authority for that purpose.

He acknowledged that an employee linked to an ongoing investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) had been suspended. Kravchenko ordered the suspension and paperwork for the employee's potential dismissal. He also mandated reviews of the Department of International Cooperation and the cybercrime unit.

All employees involved in prosecutorial oversight and investigations of illegal call center cases will undergo polygraph tests. Kravchenko promised to take staffing, administrative, and, where necessary, criminal procedural measures based on the review's findings. He emphasized that detectives had full access to his office during investigations and faced no obstruction.

Kravchenko denied reports of a safe mentioned in media reports being located at the Prosecutor General’s Office. NABU had announced a special operation on Sept. 4, alleging that an employee, possibly head of the cyber department, had orchestrated a network of fraudulent call centers and laundered assets. The Prosecutor General’s Office denied reports of Kravchenko's search and stated that investigative actions conducted by NABU on Sept.

5 involved offices used by high-ranking officials and various units. The searches targeted materials from ongoing criminal cases, including evidence of possible unlawful actions by individuals associated with SAPO leadership. The Prosecutor General’s Office emphasized that no documents found indicated Kravchenko had ordered call center facilitation, obstruction of investigations, warnings of planned actions, receipt of improper benefits, or use of criminal proceeds for personal gain.