You're reading: Zelensky signs into law bill on corruption whistleblowers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved several amendments to the law on the prevention of corruption regarding corruption whistleblowers.

The document is aimed at improving the Ukrainian legislation in the area of protecting corruption whistleblowers in order to bring it in compliance with international standards, the Ukrainian presidential press service said on Nov. 13.

The law defines the legal status of corruption whistleblowers, their rights and guarantees of protection, rectifies the procedure of disclosing information by corruption whistleblowers, exempts them from legal liability for disclosing information about a corruption or corruption-related offense. The law also provides for state protection of corruption whistleblowers, in particular, protection of their labor rights.

“The law offers significantly expanding guarantees for the protection of corruption whistleblowers, including the protection of the rights and interests with the free secondary assistance, the provision of security by law enforcement bodies to such persons and the representation of the interests of corruption whistleblowers by the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and an attorney”, the Ukrainian presidential press service reports.

It notes, that the document proposes to ensure the anonymity of whistleblowers, increases responsibility for violating the rights of corruption whistleblowers, and guarantees the preservation of a whistleblower’s job, and a compensation for forced absenteeism and future employment.

The law also provides for remuneration to corruption whistleblowers. The law provides that corruption whistleblowers receive remuneration within 10 percent of the monetary amount revealed in a corruption crime, but not more than 3,000 minimum wages. The document stipulates that the amount of remuneration is determined by court.