Military to be allowed to directly report corruption to NACP – government draft law
7 August 19:33
The government has registered in the Verkhovna Rada bill No. 13605, which provides for the right of military personnel to report possible violations directly to the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The initiative of the Ministry of Defense is aimed at amending the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strengthen the guarantees of protection of military personnel who report corruption or related offenses.
In particular, the draft law proposes to
- grant the military the right to send reports of possible violations to the authorized anti-corruption units;
- to enshrine the right of whistleblowers to freely choose a reporting channel, including direct appeals to the NAPC;
- to establish an exception to the requirement to report violations to the immediate commander.
“Adoption of this draft law is an important step to guarantee the rights of servicemen who report possible corruption offenses within the military. We must provide them with a safe mechanism of exposure and protection guarantees,” said Serhiy Stepanyan, Director of the Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption of the Ministry of Defense.
Currently in Ukraine, military personnel can report corruption to law enforcement agencies through a nationwide mechanism that includes several key steps:
- Submission of an application or report
A serviceman can file a report of a corruption crime with the following authorities:- The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) – responsible for investigating corruption in the highest echelons of power, including high-ranking military officials.
- The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) – has units that deal with war crimes, including corruption offenses in the army.
- Prosecutor’s Office – general jurisdiction over crimes, including corruption.
- Police – receives complaints and conducts initial checks.
- Anonymity and protection of whistleblowers
Ukrainian legislation provides for the protection of whistleblowers – military personnel who report crimes to avoid pressure, harassment or discrimination.
Reports can be submitted anonymously or under their own name. - Online platforms and hotlines
For convenience, it is possible to file a report through official online portals:- The official NABU website(https://nab.gov.ua) has a form for reporting corruption.
- The Diia portal – the application allows reporting violations, including corruption.
- Telephone hotlines in law enforcement agencies.
- Internal channels in the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In addition to external bodies, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have internal anti-corruption units that can also be contacted. They are supposed to respond to reports, but in cases of serious corruption, it is recommended to contact independent bodies such as the NABU or the SBI. - Review procedure
After receiving a report, law enforcement agencies should conduct an investigation and, if the facts are confirmed, initiate a pre-trial investigation.
