Ukrainian anti-corruption agency says security employee bugged investigator’s home
by Mike Glenn · The Washington TimesA Ukrainian agency that investigates government corruption is launching a criminal case after a wiretap device was found in the home of one of its lead investigators.
One of the main suspects has been identified as an employee of Ukraine’s security service, officials said Friday.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said the device was found after the apartment owner was approached by men who identified themselves as law enforcement officers. They told the man that a Russian spy was living in the apartment below him.
One of the men who spoke to the apartment owner was later confirmed to be an employee with the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU. It’s the country’s primary state security agency that reports directly to the president of Ukraine.
“It is worth noting that the aforementioned NABU detective is involved in the investigation of a number of high-profile criminal proceedings, in particular regarding corruption offenses in the customs sector, the activities of individual law enforcement officers, and state-owned enterprises,” NABU officials said in a statement.
NABU was established in 2014 to uncover corruption among top-level Ukrainian officials.
“The independence of NABU and guarantees of unhindered exercise of powers by the bureau’s employees are one of the key conditions for an effective fight against corruption,” agency officials said. “All circumstances of this incident will receive a proper legal assessment within the framework of the pretrial investigation.”
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