Ukraine dismisses two senior security officials in graft probe
The probe involves at least a dozen suspected members accused of shielding fraudulent call centers, drug sales and counterfeit cigarette production.
Ukraine's Security Service dismissed two senior officials on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a criminal network, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Anti-corruption investigators said the network involved at least a dozen people and was led by a suspected ringleader with several earlier convictions.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau, known as NABU, said the suspect had recruited officers from the Security Service, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office, along with figures from the criminal underworld.
NABU said the group used these officers' protection to run fraudulent call centers that targeted Ukrainian and foreign victims, and to sell narcotics and produce counterfeit cigarettes and fake foreign currency.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, known as SAPO, alleged that members also carried out attacks, abductions and assaults on the group's behalf.
Later on Wednesday, Security Service chief Oleksandr Poklad said he had dismissed the two officials and pledged full cooperation with investigators.
Poklad said he had discussed the case with the heads of NABU and SAPO and described the cooperation between the agencies as clear and constructive.
He also said the agency was working with intelligence services in partner countries so the investigation could extend to other jurisdictions.
The National Police said officers involved in the case had been temporarily suspended from duty and urged the public to avoid drawing premature conclusions until the probe is complete.
In September, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was dismissed in the same investigation, during which anti-corruption investigators said they had uncovered an alleged criminal organization led by a department head at the Prosecutor General's Office.
Authorities suspect members of that group of taking bribes from fraudulent call centers in exchange for letting them operate without interference.
Fighting corruption remains a key requirement for Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, which formally opened accession negotiations with Kyiv in June 2024.
