Independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies under threat, MP urges President to veto law

This was emphasized by MP Anastasia Radina of the Servant of the People party, and chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy, during a conversation with journalists, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Let me remind you that independent anti-corruption institutions are something Ukraine pledged in the context of European integration, cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, and visa-free travel with the EU… This bill essentially eliminates the independence of both SAPO and NABU,” Radina said.

According to her, if the law is signed, NABU and SAPO will become “a fiction we’ll continue to fund from the state budget,” as the anti-corruption bureau will no longer be able to conduct independent investigations.

Radina explained that under the law passed by Parliament, the Prosecutor General would be empowered to demand case files at any time, issue binding directives, transfer investigations to other prosecutors, and close cases at the request of the defense.

“Unfortunately, with the signing of this law, we will enter an era in which the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption system will be a thing of the past,” she stressed.

As Ukrinform reported, on July 22 the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law reducing the powers of NABU and SAPO.

Following the vote, NABU Director Semen Kryvonos urged the President not to sign the law, stating that “two independent institutions — NABU and SAPO — are now effectively placed under full dependence.”