Ukraine’s National Police have launched a criminal investigation into the surveillance of Bihus.Info in response to a statement by investigative journalist Maria Zemlianska, Bihus.Info’s deputy chief editor Alisa Yurchenko said on Jan. 18.
The journalists are expecting additional investigations, as other team members have also submitted statements, said Yurchenko.
Read also: Zelenskyy insider takes control of assets belonging to pro-Russian ex-politicians, claims journalist
“National Police have already opened an investigation based on the statement of journalist Maria Zemlianska, who lived in one of the cottages at the vacation complex, the interior of which was shown in the ‘leaked’ videos,” she told RFE/RL.
“Maria simply lived there, and she did nothing wrong.”
Yurchenko emphasized that law enforcement has no claims against the team regarding the alleged drug use depicted in the leaked footage.
Read also: Ukrainian journalist on price for exposing government corruption – interview
Those present in the vacation complex are not involved in the criminal proceedings conducted by Ukraine’s SBU Security Service, she said.
The removal of records from stationary cameras at the vacation complex was initiated by the SBU, as the journalists did not report any crimes to the agency.
The journalists learned that unknown individuals had rented the same rooms as them just prior to their arrival at the vacation complex.
Yurchenko said she believes that these individuals installed cameras in the rooms, and since the SBU took the video from the stationary surveillance cameras belonging to the vacation facility, they can identify the unknown individuals.
Bihus.Info believes that surveillance of the team members was ordered by someone from the government.
On Jan. 16, Narodna Pravda released a video alleging drug use by Bihus.Info employees.
Read also: Why EU’s Borrell personally discusses corruption with Kyiv officials – expert interview
Project leader Denis Bihus clarified they were contractors, not journalists, and were dismissed. He stated everyone associated with Bihus.Info will undergo drug tests. Bihus has alleged that surveillance has gone on for at least a year.
Fact-checker Olena Romaniuk later noted Narodna Pravda’s putative chief editor, Maria Shvetsova, may even be an AI-generated individual.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine