During a search of an advocate's office in Kyiv a telephone was seized and personal records were examined

Detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine conducted a search of the office of a Kyiv law firm as part of criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 366-2 (False Declaration) and Article 368-5 (Illegal Enrichment) of the Criminal Code.

Artur Voloshin, a member of the UNBA's Committee for the protection of advocates' rights and guarantees of legal practice, participated in the investigative action, which took place on March 5.

As the prosecutor indicated in the motion, the advocate assisted the defendant in the case in purchasing two apartments in a residential complex by facilitating the preparation of documents and the transfer of funds for the purchase and subsequent renovation of these properties.

When the Committee representative arrived at the office, the investigative action had already begun. The detectives also refused to wait for the advocate and began searching all the premises of the law firm. After the advocate arrived, his office, cabinets with folders, desk, nightstands, safe, personal computer, and flash drives were also searched. However, no information related to the criminal proceedings was found during the search.

At the same time, the detectives examined the advocate's personal notebooks, and the notes from one of them, which were of interest to the investigation, were recorded on video camera. After examining the advocate's mobile phone, they seized it without the owner's consent, citing the need for a special inspection. The phone and its contents contained attorney-client privilege.

Separately, A. Voloshin reported that he was prevented from photographing the search. «At the beginning of the investigative action, the detectives forbade me to take photos, and after I tried to take photos again, they threatened to take my phone away and forced me to delete the photos I had already taken, - he said. - The procedural violations, as well as comments on the violation of attorney-client privilege, were set out in the appendix to the search protocol».

It should be noted that Article 23 of the Law «On the advocacy and legal practice» stipulates that during a search or inspection of an advocate's home, other property, or premises where he or she practices law, a representative of the regional bar association must be present.

In order to ensure compliance with the requirements of attorney-client privilege during a search, a representative of the bar association is given the right to ask questions, submit comments and objections regarding the procedure for conducting procedural actions, which are recorded in the protocol.