The SBI has completed the investigation into high treason by members of a criminal organisation, which included MPs and the former prosecutor. The defence has now been granted access to the case file, after which it will be sent to court. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi
with reference to the State Bureau of Investigation.
The criminal organisation was exposed in November 2023. It consisted of current and former MPs, an assistant to one of them, and a former prosecutor. The SBI did not name any names, but it is clear from the circumstances of the case that these are Oleksandr Dubinskyi (call sign “Pinocchio”), Andrii Derkach, his former assistant Ihor Kolesnikov (call sign “Veteran”, according to the SBU, has already been convicted and is serving a sentence for high treason) and Kostiantyn Kulyk (call sign “Birdie”).
According to the SBI, on the instructions of the Russian special services, they organised events to discredit Ukraine’s image in the international arena in order to deteriorate diplomatic relations with the United States and complicate Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO. At that time, a current MP was suspected of carrying out information and subversive activities in favour of Russia. He is currently in custody. His parliamentary colleague – now deprived of his mandate – was also notified of suspicion of participation in a criminal organisation.
The investigation established that this was a well-planned special operation by Russian special services aimed at discrediting Ukrainian-American relations and slowing down Ukraine’s integration into the EU and NATO. The former prosecutor also took part in such activities. He publicly “justified” their fakes from the point of view of law.
It is noted that the MPs acted on clear instructions from Russian special services. The investigation examined documents confirming the current MP’s trips to Russia – to Moscow and St Petersburg. Most likely, he went to meet with Russian “curators” in October 2019, before the scandalous press conference. According to the Russian curators’ plan, as a professional “media killer”, he was supposed to set the necessary accents, primarily for the Western audience.
These MPs also reportedly registered draft resolutions in parliament to establish a temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the “facts” they exposed at their press conferences. In addition, the MP’s family purchased property in Spain with Russian money. In particular, the purchase of two apartments in Barcelona for 288 thousand and 100 thousand euros. The flats were purchased by the MP’s common-law wife and his mother. Moreover, the latter’s source of income for all these years was only her Ukrainian pension.
The women received most of the funds for the purchase of apartments in Spain to their bank accounts from Russia. The money was transferred by two Russian citizens who are most likely connected to Russian special services, and one of them even worked in Putin’s administration.
The current and former MPs and the former prosecutor are charged with treason as part of a criminal organisation (part 1 of Article 111 and part 1 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The first deputy chief of the main department of the general staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and his assistant are accused of creating a criminal organisation and inciting treason.
The sanction of the articles provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to fifteen years with confiscation of property.