Search of NABU ‘Follows Eavesdropping on GPU Staff’

The General Prosecutor’s Office (GPU) conducted a search and seized documents of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), GPU spokesperson Larysa Sargan reported on her Facebook page.

"The GPU investigates illegal eavesdropping of a private person during a criminal proceeding of NABU. The GPU seized the NABU documents to identify the officials responsible for the illegal eavesdropping," she said. Investigative actions are underway, she added.

At the same time, the source in NABU told Ukrayinska Pravda that they had provided the GPU with the documents proving that the eavesdropping was legitimate. According to Ukrayinska Pravda sources, this eavesdropping concerns a prosecutor’s office staff member.

The NABU stressed that the law did not allow it to eavesdrop on phone calls by itself and it has to seek help of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Nevertheless, the facts referred to as the reason for the GPU search are false, NABU claims.

"It is exemplary that the GPU started this case in April, exactly after we initiated public discussions on enabling NABU to eavesdrop by itself," the NABU Chief Artem Sytnyk stressed.

"The GPU was doing nothing for three months, but now – when the respective draft law allowing us to eavesdrop was developed and tabled with the Parliament – they came to us," he added.

On August 5, the GPU came to NABU to conduct a search. According to NABU, no investigative actions had been taken by the GPU as of 2 p.m.

Source: Oksana Kovalenko, Ukrayinska Pravda