Following raids and allegations of money laundering in connection with illegal call centers, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has resigned.
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Numerous corruption scandals have rocked Ukraine in recent years, posing a major obstacle to EU accession.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has resigned following corruption allegations.
"I don't want the office of Attorney General to be used as a tool in political disputes. My stance on the allegations remains unchanged," he said on the Telegram online service on Monday. Kravchenko had previously firmly rejected the corruption allegations made against him over the weekend.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency Nabu and a special prosecutor's office announced that they had uncovered a money laundering network that was "run by someone responsible in the prosecutor general's office."
As part of the investigation, the offices of the Attorney General's Office were searched. Anti-corruption agency Nabu released an image of a safe filled with bundles of dollars and said it had identified five members of the network. However, she did not name any names.
According to investigators, the network received money to protect fraudulent call centers. “Assets amounting to millions” were laundered. These bribes were used to pay for real estate, jewelry and other valuables.
“I reject the allegations that I was involved in receiving and laundering funds originating from illegal call centers,” said Prosecutor General Kravchenko before announcing his resignation. He assured that his expenses were “in compliance with applicable laws” and within the limits of his declared income.
According to estimates by the Swiss organization Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, illegal call centers in Ukraine employ almost 60,000 people and generate up to a billion dollars (860 million euros) a month.
Numerous corruption scandals have rocked Ukraine in recent years, including in the immediate vicinity of President Volodymyr Zelensky. His former office chief Andrij Jermak resigned amid investigations into corruption in the energy sector. Corruption is one of the biggest obstacles to Ukraine's efforts to join the EU.

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