Copy
HOT ANTICORRUPTION NEWS / Issue #70
September 8, 2018
Share
Tweet
Forward

Today's issue:
 
- save Avakov: how Kholodnytskyi will destroy evidence in backpacks case;
- anticorruption court: amendments to the assessment procedures are needed;
- Supreme Court closed the case regarding illegal appointment of Zhebrivskyi as NABU auditor;
- Prosecutor General's Office getting access to journalists' 17 months of cell phone data;
- AntAC stopped siphoning of more than 1,7 million USD on public procurements in August; 
- recommended reading
 
Save Avakov: How Kholodnytskyi Will Destroy Evidence In Backpacks Case

Recently it turned out that scandalous case of “Avakov’s backpacks” has been already sent to court, and the date of first hearing was appointed for September 11 (at 13.40, Chervonozavodsk District Court of Kharkiv). Why are they in such a hurry?
Having removed main suspects, Avakov’s son and former deputy Minister, SAPO prosecutors re-qualified the case into ordinary fraud and are going to approve the plea bargain on September 11 in court with the “whipping boy”, entrepreneur Volodymyr Lytvyn, who takes all the blame upon himself. If the plea bargain with Lytvyn is approved, court may also decide the fate of evidence regarding guilt of Avakov junior and Chebotar and order to destroy them or, for example, return to parties of the case. More details. 

In the meantime, on Monday, September 10, at 12.30, the Kyiv Court of Appeal will consider the lawsuit of AntAC regarding refusal of the judge Vadym Senin to consider the activists’ appeal in the case of Avakov's backpacks. More details. 
Anticorruption Court: Amendments to the Assessment Procedures Are Needed

As of September 7, 37 сandidates applied for positions of anticorruption judges. The call is open by September 14; however, it is expected that most of applications will come in the last days.

Competition for the HACC shall follow the same procedure as that for the Supreme Court in terms of judicial examinations and subsequent rating of the candidates by the High Qualification Commission of Judges. This procedure is established by the HQCJ and it urgently requires amendments to avoid repeating the same mistakes. More details. 

In the meantime, EU Ambassador Mingarelli and head of the EU Anticorruption Initiative Eka Tkeshelashvili call on potential candidates to the anticorruption court to apply.

The Supreme Court Closed The Case Regarding Illegal Appointment Of Zhebrivskyi As NABU Auditor


On September 6, the Supreme Court decided to close the proceeding regarding recognition as illegal of the President’s decree on appointment of Pavlo Zhebrivskyi as NABU auditor. This proceeding was opened upon the appeal of MP Serhii Vlasenko. More details. 
As a reminder, in July the Supreme Court refused to open a proceeding upon similar lawsuit of the activists. We appealed this decision to the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court. More details. 
Prosecutor General's Office Getting Access To Journalists' 17 Months of Cell Phone Data

#JournalistsUnderAttack On August 27, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv approved a request from the PGO to let investigators review all cell-phone data from a 17-month period of investigative reporter Natalya Sedletska, the host of RFE/RL's program Schemes. On September 5 another prominent journalist Kristina Berdynskykh informed that there was issued a similar decision regarding her as well. 

The rulings stem from a criminal investigation into the alleged disclosure of state secrets to journalists in 2017 by NABU director Artem Sytnyk. Journalists, international community and civil society are deeply outraged, while the Prosecutor General’s Office claims the actions were legal and justified. KyivPost states: "The targets offer more proof that this is an attempt to intimidate the press while silencing Sytnyk, who has proven to be too independent of an anti-corruption crusader for Ukraine’s elite."

Moreover, after several MPs went to meet with Yuriy Lutsenko to discuss abovementioned situation, MP Olga Chervakova informed that according to Lutsenko a day before NABU seized all servers of the Kyivstar cell phone operator company without a court order. The same day both NABU and Kyivstar rebutted the allegation. More details. 

 
AntAC Stopped Siphoning Of More Than
1,7 Million USD On Public Procurements In August 

Recommended Reading
Copyright © *2018* Anti-corruption Action Centre*, All rights reserved.

Should you have any questions or comments please contact Olena Halushka at: ohalushka@antac.org.ua

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list