President’s Office: Bakanov, Venediktova not dismissed yet, checks ahead

"Now we do not talk about dismissing these two officials. The Prosecutor General was removed from her office, and the motion of the Security Service of Ukraine was suspended from his duties. This is due to the fact that the President and all of us have been expecting long enough the heads of these agencies to take more specific and, perhaps, radical steps to clear away collaborators and state traitors," Andriy Smyrnov, Deputy Head of the President's Office, said during the nationwide telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, in the sixth month of the war, collaborators continue to be identified in these law enforcement agencies almost every week, so "to prevent the potential influence of these two officials on the criminal proceedings against Security Service employees suspected of collaborating with the aggressor country, and the same as regards the prosecutor's office, the President made appropriate decisions on removal from office and suspension."

Smyrnov explained the difference in wording by the fact that the prosecutor general was "removed from office" in accordance with the right of the President to remove an official who is appointed and dismissed by him.

At the same time, Bakanov was suspended from his duties in accordance with the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as the chief of the Security Service of Ukraine is a serviceperson.

"This is the key difference between these two by-laws on removal from office and suspension from duties," said the deputy head of the President’s Office.

He informed that official checks and investigations would be conducted in relation to Bakanov and Venediktova.

"According to the results of these official checks and investigations, the President will make a decision on the need to file a motion at the parliament on approving the dismissal of the Prosecutor General and the Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine," Smyrnov emphasized.

As reported, on July 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended Ivan Bakanov, Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, from his duties and removed Iryna Venediktova from the post of Prosecutor Genera