A new bill has appeared in the Verkhovna Rada, which aims to restore the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. It was signed by 48 people's deputies from different factions.
A new bill has appeared in the Verkhovna Rada, which aims to restore the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. It was signed by 48 people's deputies from different factions.
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn in his Facebook post, emphasizing the readiness of the parliament to quickly consider the initiative: "The law on the restoration of the independence of the NABU and the SAPO was signed by 48 deputies from different factions. We are registering. You can vote tomorrow. Turbo mode, turbo mode. Your move, Mr. President."
The bill is a response to the high-profile signing of Law No. 12414 by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 22. According to relevant deputies, this document limits the independence of anti-corruption bodies, increasing the influence of the Prosecutor General on their activities. Deputy Anastasia Radina stated that the amendments to the law actually “make the SAPO a decorative institution.”
The position was also confirmed by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak. According to him, the draft law repeals all provisions that eliminate the independence of anti-corruption bodies. "Yes, we have already submitted for registration a law on the repeal of ALL norms on the elimination of NABU and SAPO. 48 MPs from Holos, Sluga, ES and even Batkivshchyna signed it. We are also waiting for the law from the President - we will check who has the better text," Zheleznyak noted.
Against the backdrop of this decision, mass protests broke out in the country. In Kyiv, thousands of citizens took to the streets under the slogans "Veto the Law" and "Bring Back Europe," joined by residents of Lviv, Dnipro, Odessa, and other cities. The protests continued the next day.
In parallel, large-scale searches were carried out in anti-corruption agencies. The SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office accused individual NABU employees of treason and cooperation with the Russian Federation, in particular, smuggling goods and promoting the interests of oligarchs. The NABU itself, in turn, stated that the investigative actions were carried out without proper court orders.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy announced his own bill, which he said would strengthen the independence of the NABU and the SAPO. Whether it will be an alternative to the registered initiative of 48 deputies is an open question.
We previously wrote about how Ukrainians continue to gather for actions and rallies against Law No. 12414, which limits the independence of NABU and SAPO, international organizations expressed concern and reported on possible severe consequences for Ukraine.
