An investigator from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has summoned Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) Oleksandr Tupytsky for questioning on November 2.
This was announced by SBI's Acting Director Oleksiy Sukhachev, the SBI's press service reported.
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"Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation are working on a number of criminal proceedings, in which a probe is being conducted to check whether the head of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine committed crimes as a member of a criminal organization," he said.
According to the Bureau, "the influence of a criminal organization on the activities of economic courts, making them issue unjust decisions in the interests of allies for the illegal alienation of property assets" is being investigated.
Tupytsky is facing possible accusations of participating in a criminal group, committing crimes as its member, as well as taking measures to conceal the crimes.
Constitutional Court's controversial decision on illegal enrichment: Facts
- On October 27, the Constitutional Court ruled on a motion filed by 47 legislators to repeal Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code, which provides for criminal liability for inaccurate asset declaration by government officials.
- The Constitutional Court also recognized the provisions of laws on the verification of officials' e-declarations as unconstitutional and deprived the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) of the authority to check asset declarations and identify conflicts of interest.
- The Constitutional Court, by its decision, blocked the NACP's access to the state registers necessary for conducting special checks on declarations of candidates nominated for top positions in the government. Without such vetting, no head of a government agency could be appointed officially.
- On October 28, the NACP closed access to the State E-Declarations Register.
- On October 28, the Constitutional Court published the text of the respective decision adopted by its Grand Chamber, composed of 15 judges.
- The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said that pursuant to the Constitutional Court's decision, all cases of inaccurate declaration of assets would be closed, and government officials convicted of abuse would thus evade liability.
- On October 29, President Volodymyr Zelensky gave instructions at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council to immediately table a bill in parliament that provides for the restoration of the integrity of legal proceedings in the Constitutional Court.
