Parliament has just passed Draft Law No. 12414, aimed at eliminating the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
In violation of the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada, Members of Parliament radically altered the content of Draft Law No. 12414 after the first reading, introducing amendments that undermine the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. This law:
1) Makes the Prosecutor General the de facto head of SAPO, effectively stripping the Head of SAPO of authority
2) Allows the Prosecutor General to unilaterally close cases involving top officials
3) Removes the ban on withdrawing cases from the NABU and permits the Prosecutor General to reassign them to other agencies
4) Requires the NABU and the SAPO to coordinate with the Prosecutor General before notifying top officials of suspicion
5) Makes the Prosecutor General’s instructions on NABU investigations binding.
With this decision, Parliament not only strips society of one of the greatest achievements since the Revolution of Dignity — independent anti-corruption institutions — but also undermines the trust of Ukraine’s international partners.
The only way to reverse the damage is for the President to veto the law. Otherwise, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will share responsibility with the Verkhovna Rada for dismantling Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure.
