Prosecutor General’s Office Investigates New Allegations in Carthage Case
Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kowalsky has issued an order to conduct an official investigation into new facts in the "Carthage" case, which concerns the possible cover-up of fraudulent call centers by high-ranking law enforcement officials.
This was reported by the UCP press service on Tuesday, November 10.
The basis for the investigation was media monitoring materials, in particular publications about the possible assistance of unidentified officials of the prosecutor's office in the return of property seized in criminal proceedings regarding the illegal activities of call centers and a network selling U420 psychotropic drugs.
The Prosecutor General's Office stated that during the internal investigation, they will check whether prosecutors could use their official powers or status for private interests, influence the official activities of other persons, or commit other unlawful actions.
Based on its results, if there are grounds, decisions will be made within the powers of the Prosecutor General's Office. At the same time, the start of an official investigation does not mean that the involvement of any person in the offense has already been established.
As a reminder, on November 4, NABU and SAPO reported that they had exposed a criminal organization whose members paid bribes to high-ranking law enforcement officials to cover up fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses. Under the cover of law enforcement officers, the perpetrators ensured the sale of narcotics through the U420 chain of stores, as well as the illegal production of counterfeit cigarettes and counterfeit foreign currency. In addition, members of the group organized custom-made kidnappings, torture, and extortion both in Ukraine and abroad.
The investigation considers the organizer of the group to be Andriy Osipov, who has been convicted several times. He allegedly involved current high-ranking officials of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Prosecutor General's Office and the National Police, as well as representatives of the criminal environment, in illegal activities. Among the suspects are also: First Deputy Head of one of the SBU departments Serhiy Duka, First Deputy Head of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police Volodymyr Tsenov, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Main Police Department in Kyiv Region Oleksandr Demyanchuk and Vitaliy Rybalko, whom the investigation considers to be a subordinate of the organizer.
