Anton Kovalsky, the Acting Prosecutor General of Ukraine, has delivered his first public statement in his new role. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Kovalsky's post on Facebook. In it, he acknowledges that he is taking up the post "during a difficult period for the prosecutor's office" and emphasizes that he "fully understands the responsibility I am taking on today." The key message of his address is the point that the prosecutor's office works without interruption, and a change in leadership cannot be a reason for pauses.

"A Change in Leadership Does Not Halt the Work"

According to Kovalsky, a change in leadership does not stop the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General or the regional prosecutor's offices, does not affect the performance of their functions, and "cannot be an excuse for pauses in the work." He stated that his top priority is to "organize this work and ensure its results," and noted that he has identified several concrete steps for the coming days.

First Steps: Working Meetings and Problem Areas

Among the priority actions, the Acting Prosecutor General named holding working meetings with the heads of key departments of the office and the regional prosecutor's offices. In his words, it is necessary to "thoroughly address problem areas, high-profile cases, staffing issues, and decisions that cannot be postponed." Thus, the start of his tenure is tied to an internal audit of the current workload and staffing state of the department.

Operation "Carthage" and Staffing Procedures

Separately, Kovalsky stated that the service and staffing procedures initiated against prosecutor's office employees in connection with the circumstances being investigated under Operation "Carthage" will be completed. His position is formulated as follows: "We will not accuse anyone; guilt will be established in the manner prescribed by law. But the position of prosecutor cannot be a reason to protect anyone or to create special conditions for them."

Interaction with NABU and SAP

Commenting on relations with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Kovalsky stated that the Office of the Prosecutor General will interact with these bodies "professionally and within the law," and that each body must perform its work within its defined powers. He also expressed readiness for a "direct and substantive dialogue" with society and promised to answer questions, "including those directed at me," and in the near future to speak not only about his vision but also about the steps taken and the first results.

Context of the Appointment

It is worth recalling that on September 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy entrusted Anton Kovalsky, head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor's Office, with the duties of Prosecutor General. He was appointed following the resignation of Ruslan Khrachenko, whose dismissal Zelenskyy approved by a corresponding decree on September 15. The decision was preceded by a scandal around the NABU and SAP investigation "Carthage": after it, Khrachenko first resigned and then filed a suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.