Anti-graft activist Shabunin on Ukraine's corrupt and criminal law enforcement elite

According to Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a top official within the Prosecutor General's Office has been accused of protecting call centers that have defrauded the poorest citizens, even driving some to suicide. The prosecutor general's office is allegedly shielding this criminal activity, which involves Ukrainian call centers operating in the Czech Republic. Shabunin emphasizes that this issue highlights that the law enforcement elite is not only corrupt but also criminal.

When discussing the potential dismissal of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, Shabunin states that it would not change anything, as this is not the first prosecutor general with significant corruption problems, and it will not be the last if the appointment procedure is not changed to a competitive one. The European Union is urging Ukraine to reform the appointment process for the prosecutor general to make it competitive, as part of their financial support. Shabunin argues that changing the appointment procedure should be a priority for Ukraine's society.

Shabunin also highlights that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not fire State Bureau of Investigation Director Oleksiy Sukhachov, despite serious allegations against him. Shabunin suggests that Zelenskyy might not fire Kravchenko either, as there is no guarantee that he would appoint a better prosecutor general under a new appointment process. He emphasizes that the responsibility for the current situation lies with Zelenskyy.

Shabunin points out that Kravchenko came to parliament and promised not to sign any charges against lawmakers who protected him, including David Arakhamia. This action suggests that lawmakers have shared responsibility for the current prosecutor general. Shabunin questions why Kravchenko was appointed and how the Prosecutor General's Office can continue to restrict the work of anti-corruption investigators.