New law sparks concern among Western allies as critics say move undermines the authority of the watchdogs.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests in several cities and drawing international criticism.

The new law grants the prosecutor general control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sap), and critics say it undermines their authority.

Ukraine’s chief prosecutor, Zelensky loyalist Ruslan Kravchenko, will now be able to reassign corruption probes to potentially more pliant investigators, and even to close them.

  • notaviking@lemmy.worldEnglish
    18·
    2 days ago

    Yeah in South Africa when our then President, Jacob Zuma, disbanded our independent corruption body, the Scorpions, that started basically corruption on such a scale, even had a commission of inquiry for state capture. Just look at South Africa’s growth since then, basically entrenched poverty and joblessness to our countrymen.

    Be afraid Ukraine, even if Zelensky has good intentions, what about the next president. All the advice I can give you is to become active, continue putting pressure on your elected officials. The people have the power, especially through the ballot

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
      11·
      2 days ago

      There’s no way Zelensky has good intentions here. I know many like to treat him as a minor deity, but there is only one reason to sign an anti-anti-corruption bill.

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    838·
    2 days ago

    Shocked.

    Just shocked… that a wartime partner of the United States would demonstrate an openness to corrupt, self-enriching governance.

    /s

    • dogslayeggs@lemmy.worldEnglish
      122·
      2 days ago

      Yeah, how dare they accept the help of the world’s largest military after they were invaded by a hostile neighbor!! Who do they think they are?

    • TooManyFoods@lemmy.worldEnglish
      31·
      2 days ago

      For a few years the US pushed anti corruption measures in Ukraine along with the rest of the world. Under Obama we pushed a chief attorney who refused to prosecute a corporation to resign. Unfortunately some people left out parts of the story where he was delaying the case. It was the corporation hunter Biden worked for so while it countered corruption, it looked bad if you didn’t know he was stalling the case. Some people never mentioned that detail. Now we have a new leader who revels in the corruption openly.