The inspections carried out at the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office during a month revealed serious violations committed by a number of prosecutors. According to Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, the ascertained facts can be classed as disciplinary deviations and will be examined as part of disciplinary proceedings, IPN reports.
Alexandr Stoianoglo told a news conference that the Superior Council of Prosecutors was already informed about the violations committed by a number of prosecutors. The disciplinary proceedings against other prosecutors are being prepared. “Also, other cases of serious violations that resulted in severe and disproportionate violations of human rights are and will be investigated within criminal proceedings. It should be noted that measures were taken in parallel to remove a number of shortcomings,” stated the prosecutor general.
According to him, it was determined that the two prosecutor’s offices do not have registers for monitoring the main activities. Therefore, it wasn’t possible to fully determine how many criminal cases the investigations covered in reality, how many persons were detained and how many of these were remanded in custody. The ordered and authorized special investigation measures weren’t recorded either.
“Our conclusion is that the potential of the specialized prosecutor’s office is used to investigate minor cases so as to create favorable statistical indicators, contrary to the expectations of society and the development partners. Therefore, we generate an artificial diminution in the potential of the two autonomous prosecutor’s offices. As a result, grand corruption, resonant cases remain unaddressed or gather dust in the drawers for years,” stated Alexandr Stoianoglo.
Among the identified violations were the starting of criminal cases in the absence of reasonable suspicions, based only on unsubstantiated reports, or in the absence of clearly determined damage, mainly in cases of abuse of power, investigation of persons as suspects for years, simulation of searches for accused persons or groundless charging. Also, the phones of tens of persons had been tapped for eight to 12 months even if the law stipulates a period of up to six month and even if there were no reasons for prolongation.
“The materials of the examined cases do not contain data showing that the chief prospectors and, respectively, the deputy chief prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office intervened to ensure the removal of the omissions of the investigation bodies and prosecutors,” said Alexandr Stoianoglo, noting that more inspections at prosecutor’s offices will yet follow.
