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HOT ANTICORRUPTION NEWS / Issue #103
May 31, 2019
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Today's issue:

- NABU will finally execute MLA powers without obstacles;
- SAPO lost the first case in the court - Firtash's manager is acquitted;
- AntAC called on newly appointed SBU chief Ivan Bakanov to declassify declarations of Service leadership;
- EUAM's chief Kestutis Lancinskas about Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko; 
- Azarov’s trustee was appointed as the member of the Supervisory Board of the state Ukreximbank;
- journalist Kristina Berdynskykh won the lawsuit against PGO regarding access to her phone;
- diplomatic breakfast on attacks against activists
 
NABU will finally execute MLA powers without obstacles

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to notify international depositaries that NABU is a central authority for sending and receiving mutual legal assistance requests. Now evidence from foreign law enforcement agencies in grand corruption cases will go directly to NABU bypassing the prosecutor's office. More details. 
SAPO lost the first case in the court - Firtash's manager is acquitted

On May 29, Zavodskyi court in Zaporizhzhya announced the non-guilty verdict to the director of Zaporizhzhya Titanium and Magnesium Combine (ZTMC) Volodymyr Syvak. He was accused by NABU of embezzlement of around 500 million UAH (around 20 million USD) allocated for the modernization of the enterprise, but SAPO dumped this case, and we warned about this possible outcome. More details.
AntAC called on newly appointed SBU chief Ivan Bakanov to declassify declarations of Service leadership

The new acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Ivan Bakanov should cancel the illegal “secret” procedure for submitting declarations by the leadership of the SBU, as well as publish their declarations. Moreover, he should submit the declaration himself.

AntAC sent the appeal to him requesting to fulfil requirements of the anti-corruption law, which obliges all public officials of the SBU to submit e-declarations. More details. 
EUAM's chief Kestutis Lancinskas about Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko 
Head of the EU Advisory Mission Kestutis Lancinskas in his recent farewell interview commenting on Ukraine's reforms reminded that the Prosecutor General should be a lawyer, not a politician.
He also reminded that Lutsenko published on his Facebook page criminal case files (e.g. results of forensic medical examination of Kateryna Handziuk or names of NABU undercover agents), which is prohibited by the law. More details. 
Azarov’s trustee was appointed as the member of the Supervisory Board of the state Ukreximbank 

On May 22, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed members of the Supervisory Board of the State Export and Import Bank of Ukraine. Among the newly appointed members is the Austrian Paul Torsten. He is the head of the company controlled by the son of former head of the Party of Regions and the Government of Ukraine Mykola Azarov. More details. 
Journalist Kristina Berdynskykh won the lawsuit against PGO regarding access to her phone
On September 5, 2018 prominent journalist Kristina Berdynskykh informed that the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv approved a request from the PGO to let investigators review all her cell-phone data for a 17-month period. 
On May 30, Pechersk court ruled to deny such access and this cannot be appealed. 
Why are the investigations into attacks on activists hampered in Ukraine? 
Local public officials, local police officers and prosecutor’s office employees are often involved in attacks on public activists in the regions, and therefore, the investigation into these crimes cannot be objective. The last year’s series of attacks on activists continues now, and this is fueled by the lack of punishment, noted the representative of the Center for Human Rights ZMINA Viacheslav Likhachov.

Odesa activist and lawyer Serhii Sternenko confirmed his words on his own example. “In recent years, I had been attacked three times. The only attacker who was arrested is a man whom I detained myself after he shot me from a remade gun with rubber bullets. And the executor of the third assault has not even been put on the wanted list by the SBU, although he fled Ukraine a long time ago,” says Sternenko. More details about diplomatic breakfast which took place on May 30 at the RPR.  
Copyright © *2019* Anti-corruption Action Centre*, All rights reserved.

Should you have any questions or comments please contact Olena Halushka at: ohalushka@antac.org.ua

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