Office of Prosecutor General launches criminal investigation against NABU detectives
The Office of the Prosecutor General has launched a criminal investigation against NABU detectives (photo: RBC-Ukraine)
The Office of the Prosecutor General has launched a criminal investigation into the unlawful entry into lawyers' premises, wiretapping, and abuse of authority by employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), according to a statement by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
According to the statement, the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) has registered a criminal case concerning the unlawful entry into lawyers’ premises, wiretapping, and abuse of power by employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
The information was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPTI) under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. First and foremost, for unlawful entry into a home or other property of a person and conducting an illegal search therein by public officials (Part 2 of Article 162 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"According to the investigation, on December 18–19, 2023, NABU detectives, without proper legal grounds, entered lawyers’ premises and conducted seven searches there", the statement emphasizes.
According to sources cited by journalists, the case particularly concerns illegal actions against lawyer Dmytro Borzyk, in whose office NABU had allegedly installed unauthorized wiretapping equipment.
NABU detectives are also accused of abuse of power or official authority (Part 1 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and obstructing the work of a defense attorney or violating attorney-client privilege (Part 2 of Article 397 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"These are deliberate actions by law enforcement officers that clearly exceeded their legal powers and caused significant harm to the legally protected rights of citizens and legal entities. The investigation has established that NABU and SAPO officials used their positions to interfere with the work of lawyers. In particular, they illegally installed wiretapping devices, which enabled covert collection of information regarding communication between lawyers and their clients", the statement reads.
The National Bar Association of Ukraine recently submitted a statement to the Office of the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigation regarding a serious crime allegedly committed by NABU detectives, who installed wiretapping equipment in the office of Kyiv-based lawyers.
According to journalists, the surveillance devices were installed in a meeting room where attorneys discussed defense strategies with their clients. Moreover, the clients whose conversations were recorded were themselves under investigation by NABU.
