Threat of Leadership Ouster Hangs Over Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Agencies

Heads of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies do not rule out that, following the current accusations, pressure on them could escalate, with the next step being an attempt to remove the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

“Pressure has never stopped – it takes different forms, both veiled and direct. Legislative changes are a form of pressure. Any hints, whether direct or indirect threats, are pressure. Over these last few days, we have gone through a serious test,” said SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko.

“The next step is to replace the leadership, to put in place completely dependent heads. Such attempts, and even the first visible steps toward them, are already happening,” he added.

NABU Director Semen Kryvonos said that “the masterminds are the same.”

On Tuesday, July 22, the Verkhovna Rada voted to strip NABU and SAPO of their independence – a move that drew sharp criticism from the EU and triggered mass protests demanding its reversal.

In addition, the charges of treason against two NABU detectives have drawn sharp criticism from the leadership of NABU and SAPO. The heads of both agencies stated that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) should immediately make the investigation materials public, allowing the public to verify whether the suspicions are well-founded.

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During a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday, Aug. 8, Klymenko called the case “a planned attack on the independence of anti-corruption bodies.”

“The materials provided in the media are not sufficient to keep two NABU specialists in custody on suspicion of treason. These are high-profile cases linked to an attack on anti-corruption agencies, after which there was an attempt to strip us of our independence,” he said.

“The situation with NABU and SAPO has now been resolved, but not with these detectives. The correct course of action would be openness from the Security Service of Ukraine, so that everyone can be convinced there are reasonable grounds for the suspicions,” he said.

According to Klymenko, NABU staff are convinced the arrests are connected to the detectives’ professional activities and may be “a form of retaliation” for their investigations.

NABU Director Kryvonos confirmed that two of its employees are being held on charges of treason.

“We immediately launched two internal service investigations and appealed to the SBU to provide materials that would confirm these employees’ involvement in Russian influence,” Kryvonos said.

He stated that the SBU has not yet authorized the disclosure of evidence, but NABU intends to pressure the agency.

“I will be asking for permission to publish these materials, as I see no reason to hide them from the public, the team, or our international partners. I also urge the SBU to release all available materials in this case,” he said.

Kryvonos added that the appeal process to challenge the pre-trial detention measures for the detectives is currently being delayed, which only heightens tensions around the case.

The heads of NABU and SAPO noted that they usually communicate with President Volodymyr Zelensky during general meetings, and have only once reported to him individually, which was related to the recent arrest on bribery charges of a lawmaker, heads of district and city administrations, and servicemen of the National Guard.

“We spoke at general meetings attended by the heads of law enforcement agencies. Such individual communication, I don’t recall – I think this is the first time,” Klymenko said.

He also assured that any communication between the leadership of NABU and SAPO with the country’s leadership will be covered by the media to maintain public transparency.

Under the controversial Bill 12414 – which was passed and subsequently reversed – the Prosecutor General would have the authority to take over criminal proceedings initiated by NABU or SAPO at any time and transfer them to another law enforcement agency.

This sparked serious concern, as the Prosecutor General is part of the state apparatus that Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms were designed to keep at arm’s length. The Office of the Prosecutor General also has a long history of friction with NABU.

For instance, in October 2020, NABU opened a case against Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleh Tatarov. In December, NABU and SAPO announced they had formally served him with a notice of suspicion.

However, almost immediately, the Office of the Prosecutor General, led at the time by Iryna Venediktova, removed the case from NABU and handed it over to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), then headed by Ivan Bakanov, with the case stalling following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

On July 31, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 13533, proposed personally by Zelensky, which reinstated the independence of key anti-corruption institutions following major public outcry.