Gizo Uglava (Photo: Facebook)

The director of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has fired his first deputy, Gizo Uglava, for committing a disciplinary offense, the bureau's press service reported.

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"The director of NABU decided to impose a disciplinary penalty in the form of dismissal on the first deputy director of the bureau for committing a disciplinary offense — violation of the oath of a civil servant, violation of the rules of ethical behavior of civil servants, the Law of Ukraine 'On Civil Service,' and the Code of Ethics of NABU employees," the press service said.

An internal investigation and the NABU disciplinary commission found that Uglava had taken actions and made statements that "undermined the reputation of the employee who reported a possible information leak."

This also created an atmosphere among NABU employees that exposing such facts could have negative consequences, which is a serious violation of the ethical standards and principles of integrity that NABU employees and management must uphold, the press service said.

On May 23, 2024, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office conducted searches at the home of a NABU employee as part of an investigation into an information leak in the case of the "Great Construction" project. 

On May 24, the NABU director suspended Uglava to ensure an "objective pre-trial investigation."