The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) released details on Saturday, Sept. 5, regarding a special operation that uncovered a criminal organization led by a senior official at the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO).
According to a joint statement by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), the organized group systematically received bribes in exchange for protecting a network of fraudulent call centers. Investigators stated that these illicit call centers committed widespread fraud targeting both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners.
The agencies reported that an unnamed senior official heading a structural department at the PGO established the network in mid-2025, recruiting active prosecutors and unofficial associates into the scheme. Five participants have been identified so far under articles of the Criminal Code pertaining to the creation of a criminal organization and money laundering.
NABU outlined extensive mechanisms used by the suspects to launder illicit funds. According to the investigation, over Hr. 20 million ($450,000) was spent on real estate, jewelry, and other valuable movable property.
Additionally, assets with a minimum market value of over Hr. 12 million ($270,000) , including real estate in a popular apartment complex near the Carpathian Mountains, were registered to third parties to obscure ownership.
Another Hr. 10 million ($225,000) was deposited into the bank accounts of relatives, disguised as legitimate business income.
Investigations follow Friday raids at PGO
The operational details follow a series of high-profile searches conducted by anti-corruption agencies on Friday.
The initial raids targeted premises linked to Deputy Prosecutor General Mariia Vdovychenko and Odesa Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Kiper.
Sources also reported the detention of Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the PGO’s International Legal Cooperation Department. Kropyva previously served as a deputy to Kiper in the Odesa regional administration, where he oversaw digital development.
Initial media reports suggested that Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko’s premises were also searched, though PGO spokeswoman Mariana Haiovska explicitly denied this claim, stating investigators did not search his home or office.
The Prosecutor General’s Office released a statement confirming it would fully cooperate with the ongoing pre-trial investigation. The office also announced the immediate suspension of the implicated employee pending the results of the inquiry.