An internal investigation is underway at the Office of the Prosecutor General into the overseas business trip undertaken by former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. As Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky stated on 9 October, the investigation is examining compliance with the procedures for arranging the trip and the circumstances surrounding its organisation; he did not provide any final conclusions.
Briefly about the main points
- Kovalsky stated that the internal investigation into Kravchenko’s business trip is ongoing.
- The OGP is investigating the arrangements for the trip and the circumstances surrounding its organisation.
- According to the OGP spokesperson, the inspection was scheduled for 22 September.
- After his business trip ended, Kravchenko did not turn up for work at the OGP.
What exactly is checked during the OGP?
Kovalsky He described the review as an internal investigation. Its aim is to establish whether the established procedure for organising the business trip was followed and under what circumstances it was organised.
The Acting Prosecutor General has not reported on the findings or the legal assessment of the trip. Consequently, there are currently no public conclusions regarding possible breaches within the scope of this official investigation.
Timeline of business trips and staff changes
According to the OGP spokesperson Mar'yana Hayovska-Kovbasyuk, the decision to launch an internal investigation was taken on 22 September. Business trip Kravchenko It was due to end on 18 September, but on 21 September the OGP confirmed that he had not turned up for work. His actual whereabouts were not officially confirmed at the time.
On 15 September, the Verkhovna Rada gave its consent to Kravchenko’s dismissal from the post of Prosecutor General, and the President signed the relevant decree on the same day. Anton Kovalsky was appointed acting Prosecutor General on 17 September.
The stated purpose of the trip
According to media reports, the stated purpose of the order authorising a five-day business trip to Paris was to take part in an event organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe concerning Ukrainian children. This event took place on 16 September.
The media also reported that Kravchenko’s surname was not mentioned in the publicly available programme for the event. This in itself does not constitute proof that the business trip was legitimate, and as of 9 October, Kovalsky had not announced the results of the internal investigation.
On the same day, Kovalsky also reported on a personnel audit within the prosecutor’s office, though this is a separate area of work. According to him, eight people were dismissed as a result, and 24 prosecutors underwent polygraph tests.
