Statements by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko about the alleged illegality of the work of certain units of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the use of contraband equipment by the bureau's undercover agents are untrue, the NABU has reported.

"We consider it unacceptable when the prosecutor general intentionally misleads the public by reporting false facts and proposing 'arbitrary' interpretation of the legislation," the bureau said in a statement on its official website on Monday, December 4.

The NABU believes that in this way the prosecutor general "gives the green light to a further attack on new anti-corruption bodies."

The bureau notes that in its activity it is guided by the requirements of the laws on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and on operational and search activity, and according to Article 8 of the latter.

"All technical means that the NABU uses in carrying out the operational and search activity were purchased officially and are registered, as required by the law," the report says.

The NABU also notes that in accordance with Article 21 of the law on the NABU, its employees, when performing the duties assigned to them, are representatives of the authorities, act on behalf of the state and are under its protection, and no one, except for authorized officials of state bodies, in cases envisaged by law, has any right to interfere with their lawful activities.

As reported, Lutsenko stated on December 3 that all NABU agents who work under cover were hired in violation of the law and use contraband equipment in their work.

"The law requires that all NABU employees be hired in an open competition, but dozens of agents, including those two who were registered at a secret address, were selected in line with some closed procedures, which violates the law," he said.

He noted that these agents use illegal equipment in their work.

According to him, all this is "a huge bouquet of an illegal group that operates by illegal methods with illegal equipment."

"The whole staff of agents is now outside the law, so the head of the agency who personally started the selection of such agents, gave them access to state secrets, provided them with especially secret documents, must make a decision for himself," Lutsenko said.