NABU “leaked” case files and lawmakers’ personal data to foreign embassies – media

Media outlets have published leaked correspondence between Director of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk’s subordinates and foreign embassies, suggesting that NABU allegedly systematically leaked classified investigation materials and personal data of lawmakers, while NABU detectives reported on their work to foreign actors.

The Strana news portal has obtained the materials which, according to the media outlet, prove that NABU leaked case files and personal data of Ukrainian lawmakers to embassies of a number of countries, while the agency’s detectives visited the embassies with reports on the progress of the investigation. This was reported by the Obozrevatel media outlet.

“Polina Chyzh, chief expert with the NABU Director Support Department, and, in fact, assistant to Sytnyk’s Deputy Gizo Uglava, communicates with the embassies and international structures as a NABU representative. She would send reports, classified case files and data on politicians to the embassies. Besides, on behalf of her leadership, Chyzh regularly ‘snitched’ on other Ukrainian law enforcement agencies,” the material of the media outlet says.

Also, the media outlets give an example of such emails, which, according to their information, were received by Maksym Markevych, a member of the IMF mission in Ukraine, through whom NABU contacted head of the IMF mission in Ukraine Ron van Rooden and mission member Emmanuel Mathias.

In these emails, the National Anti-corruption Bureau asks for instructions from the embassy of a foreign state – how to respond to requests from Members of Parliament of Ukraine, the journalists say. These answers are pre-agreed with the embassy’s staff. The fact that they are embassy workers could be seen from the email with @ state.gov.

“NABU is extensively sharing documentation with the embassy on the direct instructions of Sytnyk’s First Deputy Gizo Uglava,” the material says.

In response, the embassy, the journalists write, requests information on cases that interest them:

“It becomes clear from the emails that NABU detectives visit the embassy either to consult or to report on the cases that they are investigating.

The correspondence mentions ‘Matt,’ who gave instructions to forward information to the detectives who are probing the Ukrzaliznytsia case. This is Matthew Thoresen, who at that time worked as Senior Criminal Justice Adviser for the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section,” the material of the media outlet says.

Moreover, detectives allegedly submit reports to the embassy, fill out questionnaires. As the media outlets conclude from the correspondence published by them, the embassy sets clear deadlines and writes that it will call the detectives for reporting.

“The cases that are of interest to the United States are proceedings against MP [Mykola] Martynenko, the Ukrzaliznytsia case, ex-Minister of Ecology [Mykola] Zlochevsky (connected with the case of Joe Biden’s son),” the journalists say.

“NABU also shares lawmakers’ personal data – for example, the address of MP Mykola Martynenko’s actual residence (it was redacted by the media before publication),” the media outlets summed up.

It should be noted that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is currently considering a draft decision on Artem Sytnyk’s dismissal, which was signed by 216 MPs, and two draft amendments to existing legislation that relate directly to the removal of the NABU director. The lawmakers consider the fact that the NABU director was included in the official register of corrupt officials, which is kept by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), and the Bureau’s poor performance in the fight against corrupt officials are grounds for his dismissal.