Sytnyk accuses Ukrainian authorities of trying to stop investigation of resonant cases
Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk has said that the authorities will not be able to stop the work of the NABU to investigate high-profile anti-corruption cases.
"To date, one must be naive if he doesn't understand that those cases that we are investigating will not be abandoned and forgiven by the authorities. Beginning with [ex-MP from the People's Front Faction Mykola] Martynenko, [dismissed head of the State Fiscal Service Roman] Nasirov and ending with the latest investigations into the deputy minister of defense and backpacks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs," he told reporters on Monday after visiting the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP).
Sytnyk was invited to NACP to serve a protocol on allegedly committing an administrative offense, which consisted in the fact that he did not submit certain documents at the request of the NACP.
Director of the Bureau said that it was about his alleged use of the legal capabilities of NABU for his own personal interests. He pointed out that when NABU or its director becomes a party to a dispute, then their interests represent, on the basis of the power of attorney of the head of the NABU, a representative of the legal department of the Bureau.
"Why it was concluded that I used this for some personal interests, I do not know. This was a representation not of my personal interests, but of the interests of the NABU director," Sytnyk said.
He pointed out that a number of investigations are currently under way, including regarding the NACP head Natalia Korchak, but, in his opinion, this call to the NACP is not a personal initiative of the head of the agency.
"We were waiting for such a reaction, we expected that there would be a maximum media attack using all controlled resources, such as NACP. So, I will not rule out further use of administrative resources, suspicions, arrests, including myself," the director of NABU said.
"But I want to address those people who organize all this: guys, you can put pressure as much as you like - you will not break us!" Sytnyk said.
