Ukraine curbs anti-corruption agencies, sparking rare protests

Straits Times

3 days ago

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure needs to be cleared of "Russian influences".
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill on July 22 revoking the autonomy of two anti-corruption agencies, a proposal that has sparked rare street protests in Kyiv and alarm among the country's international backers.
Critics say the legislation consolidates power in Mr Zelensky's hands and will allow government meddling in high-profile graft cases.
The European Union called the decision a 'serious step back', while hundreds gathered in central Kyiv to oppose the measure – a show of anti-government anger rarely seen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Lawmakers in Ukraine's parliament voted 263 to 13 to approve the bill, the majority of those in favour being from Mr Zelensky's ruling party. Mr Zelensky later signed the bill into law, a senior official told AFP.
The bill would place the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president.
The Nabu investigates instances of corruption among state institutions, while the Sapo prosecutes other corruption.
In an address early on July 23, Mr Zelensky said the Nabu and Sapo would 'work' regardless of the changes, adding that Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure needed to be cleared of 'Russian influences'.
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'The prosecutor general is determined to ensure that punishment is inevitable in Ukraine,' he said.
But the Anti-Corruption Action Center, an NGO, said the law would render the agencies meaningless as Mr Zelensky's prosecutor general would 'stop investigations into all of the president's friends'.
Protesters in the capital expressed anger at the measure. Some chanted 'veto the law'.
'The bill is being rushed through,' said 26-year-old game designer Anastasia.
'It is clear that this is a targeted effort,' she added.
The protesters jeered and booed after Mr Zelensky signed the bill into law, an AFP reporter saw.
Nabu began work in 2015, as Kyiv sought to bring the country closer to Europe after a 2014 pro-European revolution.
Since its inception, the agency has uncovered widespread graft, including among figures in Mr Zelensky's administration.
'Bad day for Ukraine'
Many opponents of the law voiced concern that Ukraine was reversing course after a decade of democratisation.
Ukraine has taken a tough stance on corruption in recent years, both as a prerequisite to joining the EU and to reassure allies who have sent wartime aid, but investigators say it remains a serious problem.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos slammed the vote and said anti-graft institutions were 'essential for Ukraine's EU path'.
'Seriously concerned over today's vote,' Ms Kos wrote on X. 'The dismantling of key safeguards protecting Nabu's independence is a serious step back.'
The chair of the Ukrainian parliament's anti-corruption committee, Ms Anastasia Radina, said the bill ran counter to Ukraine's EU accession process.
One European diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity described the move as 'unfortunate'.
'Is it a setback? Yes. Is this a point of non-return? No,' the official told a small group of reporters, including AFP.
Ukraine's former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who resigned from the government in 2024, said the measures marked a 'bad day for Ukraine'.
'Now the President has a choice – to stand on the side of the people or not,' he said.
On July 21, law enforcement conducted large-scale raids at the Nabu, detaining one employee on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Transparency International's Ukraine office called the raids an 'attempt by the authorities to undermine the independence of Ukraine's post-Revolution of Dignity anti-corruption institutions.'
Transparency International ranked Ukraine 105th out of 180 countries in its 'corruption perceptions index' in 2024, up from 144 in 2013. AFP