By signing Law No. 4555-IX, the President has opened the door to manual interference in anti-corruption investigations, undermined the independence of the NABU and the SAPO, and enabled political pressure in cases involving top officials.
What does this mean in practice?
- Cases involving high-ranking officials will no longer be investigated by independent bodies and may now be closed at the discretion of the Prosecutor General, a politically appointed official. In other words, there will be significantly fewer court decisions in corruption cases.
- The adopted law directly violates Ukraine’s commitments to the IMF and other international partners. Ukraine fulfilled its promises, received financial support — and then effectively rolled back a core part of the reform.
- Politically, this is a short-sighted decision for the authorities. The mechanisms of political influence over investigations introduced today may be used against them in the future.
- These actions by Parliament and the President are not about choosing between “fighting corruption or getting weapons.” They are about preserving the country and its democratic process — and about Ukraine’s genuine accession to the European Union. Effective anti-corruption efforts and upholding the rule of law are essential for European integration.
Transparency International Ukraine will closely monitor every step taken by the Prosecutor General’s Office, especially in cases involving the highest state officials. We will publicly report any interference, case closures, or obstruction of notices of suspicion — to ensure that the progress achieved over the past 11 years is not permanently lost.
The law on NABU and SAPO has been published in Holos Ukrainy and has already entered into force today.
