Zelensky asks parliament to sack prosecutor general and security chief — RT Russia and the former Soviet Union
The two senior officials had been suspended earlier over allegations of ‘endemic’ betrayal at their agencies amid the row with Russi
President Vladimir Zelensky has submitted proposals to the country’s parliament to dismiss the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the head of the Security Service (SBU).
A draft decree to relieve SBU chief Ivan Bakanov from office was published on the website of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Monday, and a similar document regarding the fate of Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova was registered. tuesday.
According to Zelensky, Venediktova and Bakanov should be dismissed due to a loss of confidence.
According to Ukrainian law, the country’s president needs the approval of lawmakers to reshuffle officials in such high positions.
The Verkhovna Rada’s National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee has already supported Zelensky’s initiative regarding Bakanov.
MPs said they would consider the SBU chief’s request for dismissal in the next parliamentary session.
Venediktova and Bakanov were suspended on Sunday for what Zelensky described as « crawling » treason in their agencies, with the initiation of 651 criminal cases against the staff of the Attorney General’s Office and SBU agents.
such a vast « a series of crimes » as well as contacts between « employees of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine and Russia », raise « serious questions » for both officials, the president insisted, warning that they will not go unanswered.
On Tuesday, the deputy head of Zelensky’s office, Andrey Smirnov, assured that Venediktova and Bakanov could be fired only after the conclusion of all investigations against them. He also suggested that the investigation may well end with the duo retaining their jobs.
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Venediktova’s deputy, Aleksey Simonenko, was appointed acting prosecutor general, while the role of acting head of the SBU was given to Vasily Malyuk, who was also the agency’s deputy head.
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