In mid-July, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) conducted a search at the residence of Rostyslav Shurma, former Deputy Head of the President’s Office and Zelenskyy’s top economic advisor, in the suburbs of Munich, Germany.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda article
Quote: “MPs who spoke to Ukrainska Pravda revealed that on the morning of 15 July, Shurma called a high-ranking official from the President’s Office and reported that NABU detectives, in cooperation with German law enforcement, had searched his residence in suburban Munich and seized his phone.”
Details: The search reportedly took place shortly after a scandal involving the highest-ranking Cabinet official suspected of corruption by NABU and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – Oleksii Chernyshov – had subsided.
Ukrainska Pravda possesses information that the search of Shurma’s residence became one of the final straws for the president, who a week later publicly accused NABU and SAPO of “ineffectiveness” and signed a law significantly restricting the independence of these agencies.
Quote: “The President’s Office is concerned that German law enforcement took part in the investigative actions at Shurma’s home, as Germany is known not to approve such measures without thoroughly verifying their legal basis. And given that the key figures in the case are abroad, it takes on an international dimension. While Ukrainian detectives and prosecutors can be discredited or brought under control through parliament or the Prosecutor General, this cannot be done with the Germans.”
More details: Ukrainska Pravda sources in law enforcement say both Shurma brothers – Rostyslav and his brother Oleh – are now residing abroad and have not returned to Ukraine. Oleh Shurma was previously featured in a Bihus.Info investigation that revealed the state had paid for electricity from his solar plants located in occupied territory; a month later it became known that NABU was investigating these state payments linked to the Shurma network.
Rostyslav Shurma left for Germany citing his status as the father of three underage children. His brother Oleh received the same border-crossing exemption after the birth of his third child.
Ukrainska Pravda sources also say that Rostyslav Shurma attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10-11 July.
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