Court orders NABU to investigate Tkachenko's actions regarding Kyiv Lavra

Former Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko. Photo: sud.ua

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has ordered the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to enter into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations information about possible abuses by former Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko and his first deputy Rostyslav Karandeyev in connection with the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra case.

As reported by "Glavcom", a corresponding statement was submitted to NABU by the monastery's lawyer, Archpriest Nikita Chekman. The human rights defenders pointed out the inaction of the anti-corruption body after they sent an appeal on June 9 regarding possible violations by officials of the Ministry of Culture and the "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra" National Reserve.

According to the complainants, the case involves the misappropriation of nearly 1.9 million hryvnias and the inefficient spending of over 29 million hryvnias allocated for the protection of cultural heritage. These actions may indicate a coordinated criminal intent between representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the management of the Reserve.

In his complaint, lawyer Chekman indicated that the actions of the officials contain signs of criminal offenses under Articles 191 (misappropriation and embezzlement of property) and 210 (violation of budgetary legislation) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Despite NABU's initial refusal to register the case due to an alleged lack of sufficient grounds, the court reminded that NABU is specifically authorized to investigate offenses under the specified articles.

By the court's decision, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau is obliged to enter the information into the register and begin a pre-trial investigation.

As reported by the UOJ, Tkachenko previously said that the state would take over the management of three Lavras.

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