13:26 06.03.2019

Kholodnytsky calls U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch's appeal for his dismissal as unacceptable interference in affairs of another state

2 min read
Kholodnytsky calls U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch's appeal for his dismissal as unacceptable interference in affairs of another state

Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Nazar Kholodnytsky has refused to comment on the words of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who had called for his dismissal the day before, and called interference in the internal affairs of another state unacceptable.

"You know, what the ambassador of another state allows herself is on her conscience. Interference in the internal affairs of another state is unacceptable. I will not comment on this statement; I will refrain from commenting for now," he said in comments to LB.ua ezine on Wednesday.

At the same time, the anti-corruption prosecutor announced his intention to make a corresponding statement and give a comment next week. "Believe me, it will be interesting," said Kholodnytsky.

As reported, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch has said that she considers it appropriate to release from duty head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Nazar Kholodnytsky. For the sake of integrity of anti-corruption institutions, a special anti-corruption prosecutor should be replaced. The one who was caught in providing consultations to suspects how to avoid responsibility on charges of corruption should not be trusted to conduct these same cases, the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine was quoted as saying on Tuesday referring to the Ambassador.

In March 2018, the media spread the information with reference to sources that "wiretaps" had been installed in Kholodnytsky's office, to which NABU could have been involved. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko confirmed the investigative actions concerning the head of the SAPO. Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk said that the records made in the office of Kholodnytsky contain data on "the leakage of information about the preparations for searches to those people where these searches are to be carried out, about pressure on certain officials to make certain decisions."

At the end of December 2018, the investigator of the Main Investigation Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine closed the criminal proceedings on suspicion of Kholodnytsky of disclosing pretrial investigation information.

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