On May 22, 2024, the Ukrainian Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) conducted a search at the residence of a detective from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), The Kyiv Independent reported. According to law enforcement sources cited by the Kyiv Independent, the search is linked to a high-profile corruption case involving the President’s Office. Both the President’s Office and NABU have not commented on the matter.
The case, which has stirred significant controversy, revolves around allegations of a leak of investigative information by a NABU detective, raising questions about NABU’s ability to handle top-level corruption cases. The incident also underscores ongoing tensions between NABU and SAPO, potentially jeopardizing the effectiveness of corruption investigations in Ukraine.
SAPO stated that they had opened an investigation into abuse of power and the alleged leak. Law enforcement officers assisted in the searches but did not search NABU’s premises. NABU’s internal audit unit has initiated a probe into the allegations, with NABU asserting its commitment to conducting independent, objective, and comprehensive pre-trial investigations.
The online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported that the search targeted the home of NABU detective Valery Polyuha. The investigation is connected to an alleged corruption scheme within the government’s “Big Construction” project, implicating Polyuha in leaking information to benefit influential businessman Yury Holyk. Holyk is accused of orchestrating an embezzlement scheme within these projects, although he has denied any wrongdoing.
Despite the investigation, Holyk has reportedly continued to visit the President’s Office, and no charges have been brought against him. Alongside Holyk, former deputy chief of staff Kyrylo Tymoshenko and ex-Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko have been investigated in connection with the “Big Construction” case.
The leak investigation was prompted by correspondence obtained by SAPO, dating from 2021-2023, involving Polyuha, an unidentified top NABU official, and Georgy Birkadze, a former head of the Brovary district administration. Gizo Uglava, NABU’s first deputy chief, is also under scrutiny in this case.
Sources indicate that the leaks have resulted in the loss of crucial evidence in the “Big Construction” corruption case, leaving insufficient grounds to charge Holyk. Critics argue that NABU’s leadership and internal audit unit have inadequately addressed the leak, with no suspensions, firings, or charges brought against those responsible.
Vitaly Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center’s executive board, emphasized the need for a significant overhaul of NABU, suggesting that dismissals of top officials or the appointment of a new NABU head might be necessary. Shabunin highlighted that the integrity of top-level corruption investigations is compromised if NABU’s leadership is involved in leaking information.
The relationship between NABU, which investigates top-level corruption, and SAPO, which prosecutes these cases, has been fraught with conflicts. Notably, in 2018, NABU released audio recordings implicating then-Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytsky in misconduct, including pressuring prosecutors and courts and tipping off suspects. Kholodnytsky denied these accusations.
As the investigation into the alleged leak continues, the case underscores the critical need for robust anti-corruption mechanisms and cooperation between Ukraine’s investigative and prosecutorial bodies to ensure effective and impartial justice.
