Sytnyk, Kholodnytsky comment on FBI cooperation
National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) chief and head of Ukraine's Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) office Artem Sytnyk and Nazar Kholodnytsky, respectively, have commented on cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with accusations leveled against their agencies by head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Yuriy Lutsenko.
"I can't comment on Lutsenko's words, but I can confirm NABU cooperates not only with the FBI, but with other agencies," Kholodnytsky was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian bureau of the U.S. Voice of America on Tuesday evening.
He added that FBI activities were consultative in nature, as proscribed by the memorandum of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States.
"The FBI is slightly shocked by the turn of events, because they helped not only NABU… The have assisted all Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies. But for some reason, the PGO thinks the FBI is some kind of foreign intelligence service illegally operating in Ukraine. To tell you the truth, this is awful," Sytnyk said.
Kholodnytsky said the FBI represents the American government and "really helps us create anti-corruption agencies, their development and activities."
Both Sytnyk and Kholodnytsky this week attended forum in Washington, DC on recovering stolen assets.