Zelenskyy submits bill to parliament on independence of anti-corruption agencies

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) concerning the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

Source: the draft law’s card on the parliament’s website

Details: Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that he had already approved the text of a new bill aimed at "strengthening" the independence of the anti-corruption agencies and that he would submit it to the parliament on Thursday.

Background:

• On 21 July, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office conducted approximately 70 searches targeting 15 employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in various oblasts of Ukraine. The security forces did not have court warrants to carry out the searches.
• The NABU detectives have been charged with treason, illegal trade with Russia, and corruption in the interests of oligarchs. Meanwhile, the State Bureau of Investigations has stepped up its efforts looking into materials on road accidents involving NABU employees that occurred several years ago.
• On 22 July, the Verkhovna Rada voted in favour of draft law No. 12414, making NABU and SAPO dependent on the decisions of the prosecutor general. Zelenskyy signed it into law that evening.
• Following this, Zelenskyy has pledged to submit a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada that will "empower the law enforcement system" and preserve "all provisions necessary for the independence of anti-corruption institutions".

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