Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a law limiting the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Protests erupted in Kyiv and other cities against perceived regression to prior political eras. The law gives the prosecutor general access and control over NABU cases, undermining institutional autonomy. Key officials expressed concerns about diminished independence and the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. Accusations surfaced against NABU and SAPO regarding connections to Russia, prompting mixed reactions within Ukrainian politics.
The independence of both institutions whether from political influence and pressure on future and ongoing investigations has been effectively destroyed, SAPO prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko told DW.
NABU and SAPO were created as bodies equipped with exclusive investigative powers to fight corruption at the highest levels, with full guarantees of their independence, added NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.
Prosecutors of both agencies are suspected of maintaining ties to Russia. Some Ukrainian lawmakers have therefore welcomed the new law.
You can't call this an anti-corruption structure, said former prime minister and Fatherland party leader Yulia Tymoshenko, regarding NABU and SAPO.
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