Klitschko appeals to NABU over statements by Presidential Office head

Klitschko appeals to NABU over statements by Presidential Office head

Ukrinform
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has appealed to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) over statements made by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Bohdan.

"Friends, I have appealed to NABU asking them to open a criminal case over a statement made by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Bohdan that some individuals offered him a bribe," Klitschko wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday, August 1.

He recalled that Bohdan said at a press conference on July 30, 2019, that he had been offered a $20 million bribe "during a conversation."

"This conversation allegedly took place in the interests of the Kyiv mayor - that is, in my interests. I did not authorize any person to hold such 'negotiations'! Such statements by Bohdan, who heads the Office of the President of Ukraine, are subject to review as part of a pretrial investigation as they can indicate that criminal offenses were committed," Klitschko said.

According to him, if there were any appeals, then it is necessary to determine who applied, on whose behalf and with what proposal. He also added that it was necessary to find out whether an official received any undue benefit. Klitschko said that investigators should approve suspicion notices for the identified persons or he, in turn, would demand that Bohdan apologize for spreading untrue information.

"The consequence of such statements should be not only their disclosure at press conferences. I am convinced that NABU has every opportunity to investigate the disclosed information and establish the truth in this case. I hope that Bohdan will facilitate the investigation if, of course, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine told journalists the truth," he wrote.

Bohdan said at a press conference on July 30 that Klitschko had confirmed to him that he was not controlling Kyiv City Council.

According to Bohdan, at meetings with Klitschko, he asked him "to give up the institute of 'overseers,' reject these corruption schemes and become a truly popular mayor."

On July 24, the Cabinet of Ministers received a letter from the Presidential Office with the request to submit a motion for Klitschko's dismissal as head of Kyiv City State Administration.

The Presidential Office said that Klitschko could be dismissed under Article 118 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which provides that "heads of local state administrations are appointed and dismissed by the President of Ukraine on the recommendation of the Cabinet of Ministers."

The Constitutional Court had already interpreted Article 118 of the Constitution of Ukraine back in 2013 and determined that "Kyiv City State Administration should be headed only by a person elected as Kyiv city mayor."

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