Information attack against the SBI: criminal proceedings opened

The State Bureau of Investigation initiated criminal proceedings for the fact of intrusion into the work of a law enforcement agency.

During the time of the russian military aggression against Ukraine, some individuals are engaging in the sabotage of the situation in the country and spreading unreliable information about the work of the law-enforcement system of the state. In particular, they try to destabilize the work of the State Bureau of Investigation. To do this, unauthorized information is spread in the information field about the alleged destruction of the Bureau's materials of publicly resonant criminal proceedings.

Since such actions may have signs of criminal offenses, the investigators of the SBI, according to the materials of the Department of Internal Control, initiated a criminal proceeding under Part 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (interference with the activity of a law enforcement officer, an employee of the state enforcement service, private enforcement officer).

The SBI reports that all criminal proceedings, including high-profile ones, such as the signing of the "Kharkiv agreements", the Maidan dispersal, the "gas case" and others, are being investigated in full compliance with the previously approved plans and will be submitted to the court within a defined timeframe.

At the beginning of the hot phase of the war between russia and Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigation, as well as other law enforcement agencies, destroyed only those specific material assets of classified information for which the legal requirements were met, regimented by the "Procedure of organization and secrecy in the state bodies, local self-government bodies, enterprises, institutions, and organizations".

The prosecutors' approval for the destruction of such documents is required only in peacetime, while destruction of classified information under martial law is not required.

To reiterate, these lawful actions of the SBI do not in any way affect the quality and completeness of the investigation of any criminal proceedings.

Accusing the Bureau of, allegedly, unjustified destruction of important materials that would complicate further investigation of high-profile cases does not correspond to reality. The goal of such reports is to discredit the Bureau under wartime conditions, imbalance the entire law enforcement system, and deprive certain officials and high-ranking law enforcement officers who have committed illegal actions or negligence of responsibility.

We urge journalists not to be influenced by information manipulation and not to spread unreliable and manipulative information.

Do not create hype on the topic of war!

The State Bureau of Investigation is open to cooperation and communication within the limits specified by law.