6 February, 08:12
📅 February 5, 2025 — A judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has ordered NABU to register a criminal investigation into alleged crimes involving Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, Secretary-General of the Ombudsman’s Office, Andriy Verveyko, and their associates.
Those implicated in the investigation also include:
- Head of the State Special Communications Service, Yuriy Potiiy
- Chief of the National Center for Operational and Technical Network Management, Yuriy Tytarenko
🔍 Case Overview
The investigation focuses on alleged abuse of power and illegal blocking of information resources. At the request of Ombudsman Lubinets, representatives of the State Special Communications Service issued an order to block the domain name of a personal blog that published the critical article “Ombudsman of Corruption”, along with several websites that republished it.
💬 Background
The article sparked public outcry due to its allegations of possible corruption schemes involving Lubinets and his team. The decision to block the critical content has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and media outlets, who view it as an attempt to stifle freedom of speech.
⚖️ Court’s Reaction
The court deemed it necessary to investigate actions potentially linked to:
- Abuse of power or official authority
- Exceeding the limits of official duties
- Obstructing journalistic activities and freedom of speech
🚨 What’s Next?
NABU is expected to launch an official investigation and question those involved. Experts predict this could become one of the most high-profile anti-corruption cases of the year.
📌 Conclusion
The investigation of high-ranking officials signals that even top bureaucrats are not immune from scrutiny. The key question remains: Will NABU gather enough evidence to prosecute, or will this become yet another high-profile case without tangible results? Only time will tell.