Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Artem Sytnyk expects to quickly familiarize the defense with the materials of the case on bribery charges against former judge of Dniprovsky District Court of Kyiv Mykola Chaus and to transfer the case to court.
“They asked for arrest, but the court chose round-the-clock house arrest. As far as I know, the prosecutor’s office is appealing this decision,” Sytnyk said at a press conference in Kyiv on August 9, referring to the “Chaus case.”
He recalled that on August 6, the prosecutors decided to complete the pretrial investigation and open the materials to the defense.
“The case has a relatively small volume of materials, and I hope that in the near future this case will be sent to the court,” Sytnyk said, adding that this proceeding is only about obtaining an unlawful benefit.
At the same time, he noted that the NABU continues to investigate the case into the possible involvement of Ukrainian special services officials in the disappearance of Chaus. “Investigative actions are ongoing in this case,” the NABU director said.
Sytnyk refrained from more detailed information, noting that the case has a resonance in society and premature information may harm the investigation.
“The case concerning his [Chaus’] disappearance from the territory of Ukraine was registered back in 2016. This case appeared because detectives were taking measures to establish his whereabouts after his disappearance […]. Then it was established how he left the territory of Ukraine. And now procedural actions will also take place with the person who disappeared at that time,” Sytnyk said.
At the same time, he said: “I will not predict to what stage, to what circle of persons the investigation will reach, in order not to disclose the secret of the pretrial investigation, and in order to relieve the tension that arose in an ordinary criminal case.”
As reported, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC), at a session on choosing a preventive measure for Mykola Chaus, which lasted ten hours, placed the former judge under round-the-clock house arrest with wearing an electronic bracelet until August 18.
