Prosecutor General’s Office wants to look for American money at Anti-Corruption Action Center

The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv has allowed the investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine to seize things and documents of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, including those which are banking secrecy.

According to the Ukrayinska Pravda (Ukrainian Truth) online newspaper, the relevant ruling appeared in the Unified Register of Judgments on March 22.

The investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office appealed to the court within the criminal proceedings. They are looking for the U.S. government funds that were allocated for the criminal justice reform. The Prosecutor General’s Office argues that the money should be transferred directly to the law enforcement agency’s accounts.

It is reported that within the case the investigators will have access to the things and documents of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, the copies of the contracts on opening and maintenance of bank accounts, the powers of attorney, the cards with samples of signatures of the officials of the organization, the seals, the contracts on the Client-Bank system installation, the statements with telephone numbers, IP-addresses used for Client-Bank connection and the dates of such connections.

In addition, the investigators can obtain the information about the movement of money in the accounts of the Centre, the accounting records, the documents of the NGO contractors, the statements and other documents since the beginning of 2014.

The Anti-Corruption Action Center views this criminal proceeding as an excuse to intervene in and block the work of the NGO, to arrest its accounts and launch the criminal prosecution of its staff, who has publicly criticized the work of the Prosecutor General’s Office leadership.

“This can be viewed only as the pressure on the organization. One of the Shokin’s deputies – Stoliarchuk or Sevruk- is being prepared for the post of the Prosecutor General. The Center has criticized the work of both,” said Vitaly Shabunin, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Action Center.