Zelensky announces new bill on anti-corruption bodies
23 July 2025 21:23
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would submit a new bill to the Verkhovna Rada to ensure the independence of anti-corruption bodies. He said this in an evening address on July 23, [Komersant] reports.
“I will propose a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that will ensure the strength of the law enforcement system. There will be all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions. There will be no Russian influence or interference,” the president said.
He emphasized that he was waiting for proposals from the heads of NABU, SAPO and other law enforcement agencies. The draft law will become part of the state’s transformation strategy.
What happened earlier
on July 22, the Parliament passed and the President signed Law No. 12414, which provides for the expansion of the Prosecutor General’s powers over NABU and SAPO. In particular, the document allows
- take cases away from the NABU and transfer them to other agencies;
- to actually manage the SAPO and delegate powers to its prosecutors;
- give written instructions to NABU detectives;
- close cases against top officials.
The law also restricts the powers of the head of the SAPO and changes the procedure for determining the jurisdiction of the NABU.
The NABU and SAPO stated that these changes threaten the independence of the agencies and turn them into subdivisions of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Protests took place in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
Searches at NABU and SAPO
On the eve of the adoption of the law, massive searches took place in NABU and SAPO. The SBU claimed to have exposed a mole who was spying for the FSB. The bureau called it a manipulation, noting that they themselves had reported the suspicion to the SBU back in 2023.
Two NABU employees were also detained, including Ruslan Magamedrasulov, head of the Interregional Detective Department. He is associated with the fugitive MP from the OPFL, Fedir Khrystenko, who is suspected of treason.
The SBU claims that confidential NABU documents were found during the searches of Khristenko’s place.
