Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
– Illia Vitiuk, the SBU cybersecurity chief, has been suspended pending investigations into allegations made by Slidstvo.Info
– Vitiuk’s wife reportedly made significant earnings after his appointment, leading to suspicions of corruption
In a recent report by investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, Illia Vitiuk, the chief of the cyber security department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), has been suspended following allegations of corruption. The investigation revealed that Vitiuk’s wife started making substantial profits after his appointment, which raised suspicions of illicit activities. The outlet also reported that one of their journalists conducting the investigation was later targeted by enlistment officers allegedly accompanied by an SBU official from Vitiuk’s department. The SBU has since suspended Vitiuk pending further inquiries and the Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
This incident is not the first time Ukrainian journalists have accused the SBU of pressuring the free press. In previous cases, journalists have been illegally surveilled and targeted for their work. These actions raise concerns about press freedom in Ukraine and highlight the challenges faced by independent media in the country.
