Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that issues of fairness and accountability in prosecutorial bodies are fundamental and cannot be postponed. According to him, the problem of fictitious disabilities among prosecutors has remained under an unspoken taboo for years: some did not want to see violations, some considered them a trifle, and some took advantage of the opportunity to avoid responsibility or receive illegal payments.
After his appointment, Kravchenko initiated a comprehensive review of all prosecutors with disability status. The review was conducted by the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors (QDCP). Its results revealed the scale of the problem, which had long gone unnoticed or hushed up.
Audit results: impressive numbers
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the inspection has already led to significant personnel decisions and disciplinary measures:
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74 prosecutors were dismissed from the prosecutor's office;
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66 officials were dismissed from administrative positions;
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290 disciplinary proceedings are pending.
Kravchenko emphasized that each case is considered individually, because among prosecutors there are people who really have confirmed diseases and a legal right to the status of a person with a disability.
Criminal liability is inevitable
The Prosecutor General emphasized that the dismissals are only the first stage of cleaning up the system. At the same time, law enforcement officers are investigating criminal offenses, and several cases have already been referred to court. Among them are proceedings against the deputy head of the Uman prosecutor's office and the former head of the Khmelnytskyi region prosecutor's office.
New episode: a prosecutor from Cherkasy will appear in court
Another person involved in the case is a former prosecutor who, after eight years of work as an investigator in Cherkasy, resigned in 2019 and entered the National Academy of the Prosecutor's Office. At the same time, he "registered" himself as disabled, receiving a group II disability certificate from the MSEC with an alleged loss of 80% of working capacity - without an examination and even without his personal presence.
For five years, the man illegally received a pension while on state benefits. In September, suspicions were raised against both the prosecutor himself and MSEK officials who helped to create the fictitious status.
The case has now been referred to court.
System cleanup in progress
According to Ruslan Kravchenko, the prosecutor's office has completed only the first stage of the fight against corrupt practices in the field of disability recognition. Investigations are ongoing, and those who have abused the state's trust for years will be held fully accountable.
