Kamelchuk responds to appeal in interests of private lawyer Kryvoruchko

The situation surrounding the parliamentary study “on current problems of the legal principles of the organization and activity of the bar in Ukraine and the self-government of the bar, guaranteed by the state” has taken on a new development. MP Yurii Kamelchuk, on whose instructions the aforementioned study was carried out, stated that he knows nothing about the leadership of the bodies of self-government of the bar in Ukraine.

He said this in a comment to the Ukrainian News Agency.

Recall that the Bar Association reported possible violations of anti-corruption legislation by MP of Ukraine Yurii Kamelchuk (the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada), who, at the request of ex-lawyer Larysa Kryvoruchko, appealed to the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada to conduct a parliamentary study.

In particular, it was said that “the registration of the individual’s appeal, its transfer to the Research Service, as well as the processing and production of voluminous material took place in one day, and this gives grounds to believe that the MP only formally registered Kryvoruchko’s appeal and transferred it to a state institution in order to legalize the conclusion prepared in advance.”

Kamelchuk commented on this event.

“So, Ms. Larysa Kryvoruchko contacted me and I complied with the requirements of the law and responded to the appeal and contacted the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada. This is not a violation, right? I complied with the requirement of the law. What the Research Service did there is a question for them. What will happen next with this research is not a question for me,” he said.

The MP also noted that he does not have information about who heads the Ukrainian National Bar Association.

"Regarding the NAAU statement, I have not seen it, and I do not know who is in the leadership there at all. No one invited me to the meeting (of the NAAU), no one from the bar association spoke to me, did not contact me, although I am open," said Kamelchuk.

As noted by MP Volodymyr Vatras in a letter to the Bar Association, in accordance with Part 6, Article 7 of the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada, the Research Service provides scientific, research and informational and analytical support for the activities of the Verkhovna Rada, its bodies, MPs, parliamentary factions and groups.

In particular, it conducts research on issues related to the processing of bills under consideration by the Verkhovna Rada, consideration of the White Book submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers, investigates current problems of state policy, and carries out legal monitoring of the implementation of the adopted legislative act at the request of the Verkhovna Rada committee.

At the same time, the competence of the Research Service does not include providing analytical and information materials in response to requests on issues of private or commercial interest of the customer, or received from voters or third parties.

The letter also notes that the parliamentary study on the activities of the bar self-government did not concern the processing of bills under consideration by the Verkhovna Rada, consideration of the White Book and legal monitoring of the implementation of the adopted legislative act. Therefore, it could only be carried out as a study of current problems of state policy at the request of MP.

However, the subject of the study is not within the scope of professional interests of the MP, who is a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Utility Services.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the National Bar Association of Ukraine sees in such actions of Yurii Kamelchuk and Larysa Kryvoruchko signs of a number of criminal offenses of anti-corruption legislation, in connection with which appropriate appeals were sent to the State Bureau of Investigation, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention and the Prosecutor General's Office.

In particular, these are signs of a crime, the liability for which is provided for in Article 364 of the Criminal Code - abuse of power or official position. This is a deliberate, with the aim of obtaining any unlawful benefit for oneself or another individual or legal entity, use by an official of power or official position contrary to the interests of the service, if it caused significant harm to the legally protected rights, freedoms and interests of individual citizens or state or public interests, or the interests of legal entities.