KIEV - Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday voted decisively in favour of a law that critics say fatally undermines Kiev's commitment to fighting corruption and threatens its EU membership bid, Politico reported.
The new law places the independent National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) under the supervision of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
The law was originally proposed by several lawmakers from Volodymyr Zelensky's Servants of the People party to amend Ukraine's criminal code regarding preliminary investigations during martial law, but the latest changes aimed at anti-corruption bodies are now facing strong domestic criticism.
"The infrastructure to fight corruption has just been destroyed by our own legislators," said the NABU director Semen Kryvonos. "In fact, this is not only a conflict of interest, but also a threat to Ukraine's integration into the EU."
Ukraine's state security service SBU launched a series of raids at NABU on Monday, just before the law was passed, as part of an investigation into suspected cooperation with Russian spies.
The EU, which strongly supports Ukraine in its opposition to a full-scale Russian invasion, said on Tuesday afternoon that it was "concerned" by the vote in Kiev.
"These institutions are essential to Ukraine's reform agenda and must function independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust," said a spokesman for the European Commission Guillaume Mercierwhen asked about this law.
"The EU is providing significant financial assistance to Ukraine, conditional on progress on transparency, judicial reform and democratic governance. Ukraine's accession will require a strong capacity to fight corruption and ensure institutional resilience," Mercier added.
The bill now goes to Zelensky's desk for his signature, after which it will become law.
NABU and SAP were created in 2015 with guaranteed prosecutorial independence. This was a key condition for EU integration, Kryvonos added, calling on Zelensky to veto the bill.
While many in Ukraine question the effectiveness of NABU, dozens of indictments against MPs, judges and officials prove that the organisation has fulfilled its role.
Soldiers on the battlefield spoke out against the law, while a prominent journalist warned of a wider democratic decline in Ukraine.
Politico/gnews.cz - GH
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