Prosecutor General Kravchenko commented on suspicions regarding the loss of independence of NABU and SAPO

Prosecutor General Kravchenko commented on suspicions regarding the loss of independence of NABU and SAPO

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko commented on suspicions about the loss of independence of NABU and SAPO after the approval of law No. 12414 by the parliament.

«Is there a suspicion that NABU and SAPO will lose their independence? They are not subordinate to me. NABU certainly is not subordinate. SAPO, due to changes, we are one system. SAPO, according to the Law of Ukraine "On the Prosecutor’s Office", remains in the status of a department. And we will be one family. They will work on their criminal proceedings, we will work on ours», stated the Prosecutor General.

According to legislative changes, the Prosecutor General can take any case from NABU and transfer it to another law enforcement agency. In this context, Kravchenko mentioned the case concerning the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov, whom NABU suspects of abuse of office and receiving undue benefits in particularly large amounts for himself and third parties.

«Some journalists reported that the new Prosecutor General was appointed to take Chernyshov’s case. And I promise you directly, that even after these changes, I will not take Chernyshov’s case. As the investigation was (with NABU), so it will be», he said.

Answering a question about how appropriate it is to give the Prosecutor General the right to sign suspicions for top officials whose cases are being investigated by SAPO, Kravchenko spoke about the «legal structure of a legal state».

«The President decided to submit my candidacy, the Rada voted, and the Rada was elected by the people. If you do not support a particular deputy in the Rada, our people elect. This is the legal structure of a legal state», said the Prosecutor General.