Anatoly Matios becomes Lviv’s new secret service chief

January17200810:05

A former prosecutor, Anatoly Matias got in the public eye when he opened a criminal investigation against the then Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych, accusing him of abuse of authority. The case was given wide coverage by the web media.

In his decision to open a criminal investigation, Anatoly Matias, then one of Kyiv’s prosecutors, wrote: "There is sufficient evidence showing that Justice Minister Lavrynovych was trying to interfere with the right of Ukrainians to have a fair election - which is a crime under part 3 of art. 157of the Criminal Code of Ukraine."

Justice Minister Lavrynovych publicly called Pres Yushchenko’s decree disbanding parliament illegal, banning his subordinates to comply with the decree and instructing them not to certify the registrations of political parties and their statutes in the run-up to the snap parliamentary elections.

A. Matios has repeatedly noted that he took the decision to prosecute Lavrynovych in accordance with his civil position.

Comment by the ZIK information agency

Pres Yushchenko signed the decree appointing Anatoly Matios head of Lviv SBU branch on Jan. 16, according to the presidential press service.