13:11 04.12.2020

Accusations against Venediktova for not replacing prosecutor in Rotterdam+ case are NABU's attempts to hide ineffective pretrial investigation - PGO

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Accusations against Venediktova for not replacing prosecutor in Rotterdam+ case are NABU's attempts to hide ineffective pretrial investigation - PGO

The Prosecutor General's Office regards the accusations of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova by NABU of not replacing the prosecutor in the Rotterdam + formula proceeding as attempts to hide the ineffective pretrial investigation, shifting charges onto the prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) and the Prosecutor General's Office.

"[...] it should be noted that during the investigation, no one doubted her [the prosecutor] effectiveness and there was no question of the need to replace the prosecutor in the proceedings, in connection with her possible interest in preventing a public trial of illegal actions of officials of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ukraine [NEURC] and representatives of the group of beneficiary companies," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement released on Thursday evening.

However, the Office said that immediately after the adoption by SAPO prosecutor Vitaliy Ponomarenko who is independent in his procedural activities, the decision to close the criminal proceedings, a number of questions arose regarding the effectiveness of the investigation and the need to replace the prosecutor in the proceedings.

The Office said that on November 11, 2020, the High Anti-Corruption Court refused to satisfy the application of the NABU detectives about the disqualification of the SAPO prosecutor in the mentioned criminal proceedings, "and therefore there is no evidence of his possible involvement."

"Currently, the issue of the need to replace the prosecutor in this criminal proceeding is being studied, and the final decision will be made after a full and comprehensive check of all the circumstances of the case," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

"At the same time, while it is perceived that NABU is making attempts to hide the ineffective pretrial investigation, shifting charges onto the prosecutors of the SAPO and the Prosecutor General's Office, trying, without the availability of the necessary sufficient evidence and their credibility, to send the criminal proceedings with the indictment to the court," the statement says.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General's Office said that only two days from the established period of pretrial investigation under Article 219 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine are at their disposal.

As reported, on November 30 the High Anti-Corruption Court did not satisfy the application of lawyers to suspend detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in the Rotterdam+ formula case.

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