Ukraine withdraws from new regulation targeting anti-graft organizations

(MENAFN) Ukraine’s parliament has voted to reinstate the independence of the nation’s main anti-corruption bodies, overturning legislation passed just a week earlier. The decision, made on Thursday, came after sharp criticism and threats from Western countries that provide financial support to Kiev.

The disputed amendments, approved last Tuesday with 263 votes, had placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the control of the executive branch.

Under pressure from Western donors, President Zelensky himself proposed the reversal, which was passed unanimously with 331 votes. He signed the new law shortly afterward.

Though expected, the initial changes had already disrupted key corruption investigations, according to SAPO head Aleksandr Klimenko, who told the Financial Times that whistleblowers had ceased cooperating and that NABU staff felt intimidated by the threat of arbitrary detention.

The original amendments were widely viewed in the West as an attempt to protect Zelensky’s allies from corruption probes, sparking protests reminiscent of the 2014 demonstrations that led to the ousting of President Yanukovich.

Ukraine’s current anti-corruption framework was established post-2014 to prevent the misuse of foreign aid. Since the 2022 escalation of the conflict with Russia, Ukraine has increasingly depended on international assistance, which was jeopardized after the EU suspended funding following the legislative changes.

Zelensky initially defended the reforms, claiming they were necessary to remove alleged Russian influence within NABU and SAPO. Russia denied any links to the agencies, labeling them tools of Western control over Ukraine.

Moscow has accused Zelensky of extending the war to cling to power and continue accessing foreign aid, alleging corruption among Ukrainian and Western officials benefiting from the funds.

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