Three questions about the investigation into information leaks at NABU

We finally have the first NABU decisions regarding the information leak scandal. NABU Deputy Director Gizo Uglava was suspended from office due to his statement about a potential conflict of interest. And this is probably a good thing – it seems that the Bureau’s leadership understands the problem and its scope, making it clear that remaining silent is not an option.

However, it is still too early to rejoice and draw conclusions, as there are questions that remain unanswered.

1. Why was Gizo Uglava suspended only now? Is it hard to believe that the investigation and the potential conflict of interest were not known earlier?
2. What is the real position of Semen Kryvonos in this story? This is the first such high-profile scandal at NABU under his leadership, and the director’s position in such a story is extremely important.
3. What should be done to address leaks in NABU? After all, during these few days, we learned about the case itself regarding the information leaks primarily from the same sources, and the official positions of the bodies emerged much later. This is an unsettling precedent that highlights the manipulation of information, the lack of transparency in the process itself, and, most concerning of all, the likely repeated violation of the law by representatives of NABU.

The suspension of Uglava, as well as real movements in such important investigations, is a good thing. Now, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive internal investigation, present the results to the public, and ultimately conduct an independent external audit. Without these steps, detecting errors, especially structural ones, is nearly impossible.

If there are problems, they must be honestly acknowledged and corrected. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.