Former NABU agent on derailed anti-corruption investigation — interview

Public activist, entrepreneur, and former NABU [National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine] agent Yevhen Shevchenko spoke in an interview with NV Radio on June 11 about moles in the agency, leaked investigations, and massive corruption schemes leading to senior officials.

NV: NABU is investigating the Big Construction program [Zelenskyy-championed infrastructure plan], focusing on how funding for road construction in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was administered. Over UAH 1.5 billion ($37 million) was awarded to local contractors there. Yuriy Holyk, a consultant at the President’s Office (PO), is under scrutiny: his phone was seized by the NABU. That’s what the public knows from several leaks about the investigation.

We then saw NABU detectives being investigated for allegedly leaking case materials. Later, NABU First Deputy Director Gizo Uglava was suspended.

After another leak, incumbent NABU Director Semen Kryvonos says the agency is now investigating these leaks. Given that you’re familiar with NABU, how does the agency view this series of events?

Shevchenko: It doesn’t directly affect their daily work. They have ongoing criminal proceedings, which are being investigated, interviews, etc.

The fact there’s a leak in NABU has been known for a long time. In fact, these leaks took place earlier. The first major leak was recorded, I think, sometime in 2017. As it was later found out during an investigation, it happened through the secretary of Kyiv’s Solomianskyi District Court—the HACC (High Anti-Corruption Court) didn’t exist at that time. Later, there were also certain leaks through HACC through the secretary of this institution. This was also found out and recorded. Nevertheless, in fact, these leaks weren’t systemic and related to some isolated cases.

But somewhere in 2021, strange things started happening. Detectives would often find that phones they seized in a given investigation have been wiped in advance, suspects would have no documents at home or in their cars. That is, as if warned in advance, persons of interest would completely erase the paper trail of their activities. And such things began to happen regularly.

They were connected directly with the entourage of incumbent authorities, i.e. directly with officials or with people who helped them rob our country, participating in corruption schemes. Of course, this worried everyone.

The fact that it has now become more or less clear and known, both to the general public and to detectives, is usually taken positively by detectives. Because they realize the leaks are coming from a high level, they directly related to top officials, major corruption schemes, and the leak came from NABU’s leadership.

Of course, they hope to set the record straight soon, minimize possible losses to future or current criminal investigations.

Read also: NABU official leaked investigation data, says Ukrainian activist

NV: How can we estimate the impact of these leaks and investigations?

Shevchenko: I don’t want to name the people in question. But, I think, these names, at least one of them, are known to everyone. This is a top official who, in fact, makes many decisions in our country.

NV: Are you talking about PO Deputy Head Oleh Tatarov, or about Zelenskyy’s Chief-of-Staff, Andriy Yermak?

Shevchenko: You know, I don’t have all the facts right now, I don’t want to throw around names. At any rate, the investigation led [to top officials]. It’s clear that the former Dnipropetrovsk regional officials were not the ultimate beneficiaries of these corruption schemes.

That is, corruption schemes worth billions are impossible, unfortunately [without approval at the top level]. Just like under [former presidents – Leonid] Kuchma, under [Viktor] Yushchenko, under [Viktor] Yanukovych, under [Petro] Poroshenko, and yes, unfortunately, under [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy.

Indeed, in my 41 years, I remember all these stages, better or worse, but systemic corruption has been in Ukraine since the 1990s, unfortunately. And the largest schemes were possible only and exclusively with the participation of the current government and its most senior representatives.

Therefore, the investigation wasn’t aimed at arresting local Dnipropetrovsk Oblast officials. The detectives wanted and aimed to arrest top national officials, who, unfortunately, instead of protecting state interests, protected exclusively their personal interests and access to illicit enrichment.

This operation could have led to a change in Ukraine’s political landscape, the current government, the current administration. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen and won’t happen within this investigation. There are consequences measured in billions of dollars of losses for Ukraine, because these corrupt officials, who ransacked the country, remain in their posts. We understand they see Ukraine exclusively as an opportunity for personal enrichment.

Unfortunately, the consequences of their misconduct then reflect on the ongoing war. They are measured not only in billions of dollars lost, but also in concrete lives of our people. Because the more corrupt officials steal money, the less weapons, ammunition, thermal imagers, drones our military will receive... And all this ultimately leads to higher losses in the war, unfortunately. This is how I view it, personally.

Read also: NABU chief dismisses first deputy over potential information leak

NV: Let’s talk more about the leaks. Journalists mentioned Uglava’s several times. He’s the first deputy head (now suspended) and has been working in the agency since its inception. Why did the suspicion immediately fall on him?

Shevchenko: I can confirm 100% that he leaked the information. I can say this for sure. I hope he eventually gets charged with a crime, stands trial, and gets five to 10 years in prison. I don’t know exactly what article of the criminal code he’ll be charged with. But it would be very good.

I probably cannot say anything more at the moment. The investigation is still underway.

NV: Uglava is NABU’s First Deputy Director. What powers and what influence does he have in the agency?

Shevchenko: A very interesting question, indeed, because, from a legal point of view, he has no authority to control or conduct investigative actions. He has a purely administrative function, just like the NABU director, by the way. That is, their task is to provide detectives with everything necessary to do their jobs.

But in fact, Uglava’s influence eclipsed that of his boss, Semen Kryvonos. Uglava did everything to get rid of Andriy Kaluzhynskyi, who was the head of detectives for a long time and exercised control over all NABU operations, and who was also mentioned in the correspondence in the Bihus.Info investigation, where it was discussed how they really don’t like Kaluzhynskyi.

Uglava got rid of Kaluzhynskyi by changing NABU’s staffing structure. They simply abolished his position. After that, Uglava became the sole head of all detectives, the entire NABU, and gained enormous influence and control, access to all case files.

Read also: NABU conducts raids in Poland and Ukraine as part of investigation into arms sales

NV: What are the optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for this case?

Shevchenko: As for me, for a person who spent more than one year investigating corrupt senior officials, I know exactly how unfortunate it is when an operation that you spent half a year or a year on collapses (this happened to me too, unfortunately). Given this, there can be only one optimistic scenario.

All the people who were involved in the leak, in helping corrupt officials to avoid any consequences of their criminal activities, should be convicted and end up in prison. This will be a good and meaningful example for all other officials who may someday think about whether to engage in corruption or not.

The pessimistic scenario—not enough evidence to charge Uglava. But even if he isn’t charged, I don’t see how he can stay in office, given the resonance of this case. In fact, if he had any honor at all, he would have resigned, given the fact that he no longer enjoys any trust in the agency.

It’s important for the prosecution to have evidence that will be admitted in the courts and based on which the suspects can be charged. But very often it happens that the evidence isn’t enough, even though everyone understands the general picture.

And this is exactly the case when everyone understands the general picture, everyone understands that Uglava leaked the cases, that he negotiated with the current administration, and no one will work with him anymore. Of course, no one will do any business with him. So, I think one way or another he’ll definitely lose his position, but let’s wait and see.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine