A search, which is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at 18 Kurenivska Street in Kyiv, is not connected with the activities of the 1+1 TV Channel, the press center of the SBU has said on Facebook.
The SBU also said that the search was related to the specific persons and was conducted in the places where they could possibly create and store illegally obtained audio files.
As reported, the SBU started a search at the editorial office of the Secret Materials program of the 1+1 TV Channel on Feb. 5 evening.
The Ukrainian media reported that the search was related to the case on wiretapping in the meeting room of Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk. The investigators allegedly suspect journalist of the 1+1 TV Channel Yevhen Kuksin of having leaked the audio recording.
As reported, on Jan. 16, a number of Telegram channels circulated an audio recording in which several people discuss the preparation of an economic policy report for the president, as well as the causes and possible effects of a stronger hryvnia. A person whose voice resembles [Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy] Honcharuk’s says the president has “primitive” notions about economics and refers to himself as “clueless about economics.”
The conversation was said to have been recorded on Dec. 16. In addition to Honcharuk, the meeting was supposedly attended by National Bank of Ukraine Deputy Chairperson Kateryna Rozhkova, Finance Minister Oksana Markarova, deputy chief of the presidential office Yulia Kovaliv, and others.
Later, the Security Service of Ukraine opened a criminal case on the fact of wiretapping in Honcharuk’s office.
