The Verkhovna Rada returned the independence of the National Anti -Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti -Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP).
331 MPs at the plenary session of Parliament on Thursday were voted in favor of the relevant presidential bill No.
214 MPs from the Servant of the People, 27 (“European Solidarity”), 16 (“Voice”), 4 (“Homeland”), 17 (group “Dov Pira”), 11 (“For the Future”), 9 (“Recovery”), 17 (Platform) voted in favor of the presidential bill.
As it has been reported, the bill, in particular, establishes the procedural independence of the head and prosecutors of the SAP from the Prosecutor General. In addition, the bill establishes that NABU detective executes only the SAP prosecutor, and also provides that NABU detectives during operational and operational and technical activity perform only the NABU detective or Prosecutor of the SAP.
The bill also returns the SAP prosecutor to refer criminal proceedings to NABU detectives, and the Prosecutor General loses such a right. NABU detectives are returned by the decision of the NABU Director in agreement with the SAP prosecutor to investigate criminal offenses, which are attributed to the jurisdiction of investigators of other bodies, and the Prosecutor General’s approval will be required.
As it was reported, on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada restricted the independence of NABU and the SAP, adopting the Law No. 12414. In particular, the amendments to the Prosecutor General’s law are empowered: to be the actual head of the SAP and to redeem the powers of the SAP prosecutor to other prosecutors; provide NABU with mandatory written instructions and require materials of any case; re-register the demanded cases by any prosecutors; Overreach the investigations of cases that are in the junction of NABU, to other bodies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law on the evening of July 22.
After a day, on July 23, after protesting and anxiety from international partners, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he would offer the Verkhovna Rada a bill that would provide force to the law enforcement system, and the lack of Russian intervention in the activities of law enforcement.
Starting on July 22, protests were held in Kyiv and some other cities of Ukraine against the restriction of NABU and SAP’s independence. Thus, at a rally in the capital near the Ivan Franko Theater on the first day, July 22, more than 5.8 thousand participants were recorded, on the second day – more than 9.5 thousand participants, on the third day – more than 4.1 thousand participants. The actions in Kiev took place in the following days, including the day before on July 30.
On July 31, the action in support of the return of the powers of NABU and the SAP is held in Mariinsky Park, near the Verkhovna Rada building.
