Ukraine's Acting Prosecutor General Says Kropyva Used Official Car for Trips to Bukovel During Work Hours

Ukraine's acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi said on 2 November that a new criminal case has been registered against Serhii Kropyva, a defendant in the "Carthage" corruption case. Kropyva worked at the Office of the Prosecutor General, and an internal investigation found that he drove an official car to the Carpathian ski resort of Bukovel during working hours while still drawing his salary. The matter is significant because the broader case already concerns alleged corruption at a senior level of the prosecution service.

Speaking to journalists at a meeting that included Ukrainska Pravda, Kovalskyi said the investigation established numerous instances of Kropyva using official transport for non-official purposes and being absent from his workplace. According to Kovalskyi, his time was logged as worked and he was paid for it, and he abused this practice very often.

Details of the criminal case

The case was registered on 2 November under Part 4 of Article 191 and Part 1 of Article 366 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. The State Bureau of Investigation was tasked with the inquiry. Kovalskyi said investigators must assess not only Kropyva's actions but also those of his driver and of the staff who kept records of their working time.

Kovalskyi also said he abolished the post of deputy head of department that Kropyva held. He further criticised Kropyva's appointment to the Office of the Prosecutor General without a competition, after working as deputy head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration. In Kovalskyi's assessment, Kropyva lacked adequate knowledge of international law and entered the system through unclear connections rather than professional merit.

Background

On 30 October, the High Anti-Corruption Court extended the pre-trial detention of Kropyva and two other defendants in the "Carthage" case, while lowering their bail amounts. For Kropyva, the sum was cut from 120 million to 93 million hryvnias.

In early September, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced the exposure of a criminal organisation that, according to investigators, was led by a head of one of the structural units of the Office of the Prosecutor General. Its members are suspected of systematically taking bribes from fraudulent call centres and of laundering illicit assets. On 6 September, Kropyva, who appears in the investigation under the alias "Chancellor", was remanded in custody with the option of bail set at 120 million hryvnias.