Ukraine will fix a controversial anti-graft law that sparked protests last week, its foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday, July 30, ahead of a parliamentary vote Thursday on the amendments. President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia’s invasion more than three years ago.
The law had placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes.
The new version, approved by the agencies, restores their independence, but also provides for regular lie detector tests for anti-graft officials.
“We anticipate the vote tomorrow. The relevant parliamentary committee has already given its approval. We are getting this fixed,” Andriy Sybiga told AFP in an interview. He reiterated Kyiv’s commitment to fight corruption and its desire to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, “there is no alternative to this path,” the minister said.
European allies had worried the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine’s bid to join the EU. It remains to be seen whether members of the parliament, who are mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the new version.
Commentators and Ukrainian media feared some lawmakers under potential investigation by the agencies may be reluctant to support the new bill. Thirty-one MPs were mentioned in NABU’s investigations, SAPO said in a statement on Wednesday.
