Prosecutors’ Council Launches Procedure to Select SAPO Leadership

On November 27, the Council of Prosecutors of Ukraine (CPU) announced the start of the process to form the Selection Commission that will conduct an open competition for the position of Deputy Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

Those wishing to become members of the commission may submit their documents by 5:00 p.m. on December 4 at the premises of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO). Guidelines for submitting candidate documents for commission membership have been published on the PGO website.

What makes this competition for SAPO leadership positions special?

For the first time, the competition for SAPO leadership positions will be held under new rules. Following the strengthening of SAPO’s independence in December 2023, the procedures for selecting heads and deputy heads were revised.

The key feature of the new competition is that the commission will consist of six members:

• three appointed on the recommendation of the Prosecutors’ Council, and
• three nominated by international partners.

The international members will have a decisive voting role. Previously, the commission consisted of 11 members, appointed solely on the recommendations of the Council of Prosecutors and the parliament.

Who can become a member of the commission?

Only individuals of integrity, with an impeccable professional reputation, high professional and moral standards, and public authority may serve as members of the Selection Commission. Candidates must also have more than five years of experience as a prosecutor, judge, or lawyer, or relevant experience in the anti-corruption field.

The Prosecutor General will appoint the members of the commission. Within 20 working days from the appearance of the vacancy — and Andrii Syniuk resigned on November 14, — the Council of the Prosecutors is required to submit a list of candidates it recommends for commission membership. If the Council fails to do so, the Prosecutor General may appoint the candidates independently.

International organizations, in turn, have 20 working days from the date they receive a request from the Cabinet of Ministers to agree on and submit a joint list of nominees to the Selection Commission.

We expect the process to proceed with due efficiency, and that the appointed members of the Selection Commission will possess the necessary qualities to properly assess the professional competence and integrity of candidates, following best international practices in this field. The previous SAPO competition, which selected both the head of the agency and a deputy, lasted nearly two years and was delayed largely due to shortcomings in the work of the Selection Commission.