Under the procedural supervision of prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, an indictment was submitted to the court against five members of the criminal organisation – a Member of Parliament of Ukraine, a Member of Parliament of Ukraine of the III-IX convocations, a former prosecutor and two heads of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
They are charged with creating and participating in a criminal organisation, as well as committing high treason (Part 1 of Article 255, Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation established that in 2016, the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces created a criminal organisation. It subsequently included two members of the Ukrainian Parliament, a former employee of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and other individuals. The members of the criminal organisation were engaged in undermining the socio-political situation in Ukraine and discrediting the state of Ukraine in the international arena.
The agent network led by two officers of the enemy special service operated in Ukraine until 2022. As a member of the network, the current MP carried out information and subversive activities in favour of the aggressor state. He participated in public events and spread Russian narratives, including about Ukraine’s top political leadership.
In November 2019, the MPs organised a joint press conference to disseminate information about international corruption of US officials. In this way, they tried to deteriorate relations between Ukraine and its strategic partner.
In 2020, the ex-prosecutor held 4 joint press conferences with the former MP. At them, they publicly ‘substantiated’ fakes in favour of the Kremlin, as well as the fake about the alleged interference of Ukrainian officials in the US presidential election.
The MP is currently in custody. The former MP and former prosecutor fled abroad on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion and are now hiding from justice.
The pre-trial investigation was carried out by investigators of the MID of the State Bureau of Investigation.
Note: In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proved in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict of guilty.
