Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Probes Signal Strong EU Alignment, Deputy PM States[/TITLE>

Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Probes Signal Strong EU Alignment, Deputy PM States[/TITLE>

Ongoing anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine demonstrate that the country’s institutions remain effective despite Russia’s war, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, told Euronews.

Kachka described the process as “the healthiest thing” in the nation of some 44 million, which continues to defend itself from Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its fifth year.

“Ukraine is now living through the war and a dramatic transformation of its political culture,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

“Issues that previously hindered Ukraine’s EU accession prospects—such as systemic corruption—are now rapidly becoming a thing of the past.”

Major anti-graft operations have recently sent shockwaves through Ukrainian society.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are investigating an alleged scheme to launder approximately €9 million between 2021 and 2025 through the construction of elite residences in Kozyn, a wealthy suburb south of Kyiv. Part of the financing reportedly originated from corrupt proceeds linked to Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company, Energoatom.

Among the suspects is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who was released on €2.7 million bail after four days in custody.

“This is precisely what the EU expects of us: to establish a clean government, eradicate corruption, and ensure the anti-corruption framework functions—and it does function,” Kachka stated.

He noted that last year NABU opened 737 cases, SAPO filed 125 indictments against over 200 individuals, and the High Anti-Corruption Court handed down 93 sentences affecting 130 people.

“This demonstrates that the anti-corruption framework is operational,” Kachka said.

He emphasized that this framework was finalized and became fully functional in 2023, amid Russia’s war at its “fullest scale.”

While acknowledging the scandal is “still a scandal” that could damage Ukraine’s reputation, Kachka stressed the country is not “seeking excuses with our partners.”

“We are fulfilling our obligations with maximum precision,” he asserted.

Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Institutions

NABU and SAPO were established in 2015 as part of pro-Western reforms following the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, which removed Ukraine’s former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

NABU investigates high-level corruption, while SAPO manages and prosecutes its cases. The High Anti-Corruption Court subsequently adjudicates these cases.

These bodies were created to investigate and prosecute senior Ukrainian officials suspected of graft independently, free from political interference.

Corruption cases are overseen by the chief anti-corruption prosecutor, who operates independently of Ukraine’s general prosecutor.

The establishment of NABU and SAPO was a prerequisite set by the European Commission and International Monetary Fund for Ukraine’s visa liberalization with the EU.

Last summer, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) conducted raids on NABU offices as part of a broader investigation into suspected Russian infiltration. Over a dozen NABU employees were searched, and two detectives were detained.

The SBU alleged it had arrested one NABU official on suspicion of being a Russian spy and another for alleged business ties to Moscow. It also claimed other NABU officials had links to a fugitive Ukrainian politician’s banned party.

Both anti-corruption agencies rejected the allegations against their staff. They contended that the SBU’s actions were “preparation” for a subsequent parliamentary move to amend the law and effectively dismantle the independence of the anti-corruption institutions one month later.

Thousands of Ukrainians protested the proposed legislation nationwide, urging President Zelenskyy to veto it.

Source link