Kravchenko Responded to the Call Center Scandal
Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that he had no involvement whatsoever in covering up illegal call centers and did not issue any instructions to facilitate their operations. Amid an investigation into employees of the Prosecutor General’s Office, he ordered an audit of several departments, the suspension of the individual implicated in the case, and polygraph testing for employees handling such cases.
Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko responded to reports and allegations regarding possible assistance to illegal call centers by employees of the Office of the Attorney General. On Sunday, he stated that he himself had nothing to do with this. “I have no connection whatsoever to covering up illegal call centers; I did not give any instructions to facilitate such activities, nor did I use my authority as Prosecutor General for this purpose,” Kravchenko wrote on Telegram.
At the same time, he reported that an employee of the Office of the Prosecutor General who is implicated in the investigation has already been suspended from duty. Kravchenko also stated that he had ordered the preparation of a personnel decision regarding the employee’s dismissal. “I have instructed that a personnel decision on his dismissal be prepared in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law. Guilt is determined by the court,” the Prosecutor General noted.
He added that, as head of the Office of the Prosecutor General, he is responsible for managerial decisions within the system. “I am responsible for managerial decisions in the system I lead. We will not limit ourselves to just one personnel decision,” Kravchenko stated.
Subdivisions to Be Audited
The Prosecutor General announced that he had ordered an audit of the work of the OGP’s Department of International Cooperation. That is where the employee implicated in the investigation was working. A separate audit will be conducted of the unit responsible for combating cybercrime. According to Kravchenko, the audit will examine the decisions made, relevant materials, and the results of these units’ work.
In other words, this is not limited to a single employee. The Prosecutor General stated his intention to examine how the system as a whole handled criminal cases involving illegal call centers. Kravchenko also ordered that employees of the structural units involved in the procedural management and investigation of cases regarding illegal call centers undergo polygraph testing.
He emphasized that the review must cover all employees of the relevant units without exception. “Based on the results of the reviews, personnel and disciplinary decisions will be made, and—if there are grounds—criminal-procedural decisions as well,” Kravchenko wrote.
According to him, if it is established that any employee facilitated the operations of illegal call centers, interfered with the investigation, or helped cover up such activities, their actions will also be subject to legal review. “If other employees facilitated the call centers, interfered with the investigation, or covered up illegal activities, their actions will also be subject to legal review. No position will protect anyone,” the Prosecutor General emphasized.
Kravchenko Responded to Reports of Searches
Separately, Kravchenko responded to reports of alleged problems accessing his office and items that could be important to the investigation. He called such reports false. “The safe shown in the photo circulating in the media and on social media is not located in the Office of the Prosecutor General. It has no connection to either my office or any other employees of the Office of the Prosecutor General,” Kravchenko stated.
Thus, the Prosecutor General denied that the safe shown in the photos circulating online is connected to his office or the premises of the Office of the Prosecutor General. He also responded to reports about his alleged disappearance. Kravchenko stated that this is also untrue. According to him, he was at work the day before and continued working as usual on Sunday. “I was at work yesterday, and today I’m working and doing a little exercise,” he wrote.
What Is Known About the Investigation
Kravchenko’s statement came amid an investigation into possible illegal activities by employees of the Office of the Prosecutor General and their ties to fraudulent call centers. According to investigators, certain employees may have facilitated the operations of such call centers or interfered with related criminal proceedings.
This is specifically the law enforcement agencies’ version of events, and the final conclusions regarding the guilt of specific individuals must be made by the court. In his statement, Kravchenko attempts to distinguish between his own responsibility for the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General and possible violations by individual employees. At the same time, he acknowledged that, as the head of the institution, he is responsible for management decisions and has therefore ordered a broader investigation.
If new violations are uncovered during the investigations, Kravchenko promises personnel actions and, if there are sufficient grounds, further legal proceedings. For now, however, the Prosecutor General publicly denies any personal involvement in covering up illegal call centers and states his readiness to investigate employees who may have been linked to such cases.
