Anti-corruption officials believe the next step in the pressure campaign could be an attempt to replace the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

Source: NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine in Kyiv on 8 August

Quote from Kryvonos: "Pressure has never stopped – it takes different forms: veiled, direct, in various ways. These legislative changes are a form of pressure. Hints and threats – whether veiled or direct – are pressure. Over the past few days, we’ve been through a serious test.

I – we – believe, and we have such information, that the next attack could target the leadership itself. Like, let’s come up with something, gather critical mass, and start reappointing the heads of NABU and SAPO under some pretext or another."

Details: Kryvonos added that NABU and SAPO are aware of who is behind the planning, coordination and discussion of this pressure.

“Just yesterday, the same Telegram channels launched a new media campaign, like the ones previously targeting NABU and SAPO – only now focused directly on the leadership. There’s a lot of absurd stuff being floated, but we are ready for it,” Kryvonos said.

Klymenko confirmed and said, “There really is such information. […] The next step is to change the heads – to install leadership that is fully dependent. These attempts are already underway; the first clear steps have been made.”

Kryvonos also noted that “the instigators are the same people”.

“We know everything, and now they know that we know. There’s also a temporary investigative commission working – they’re collecting some kind of data. We are responding, we respect the process, we will show up when summoned, we will communicate, and we await the results,” the NABU director concluded.

Background:

On 22 July, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) passed Law No. 12414 introducing amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, which made the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) dependent on decisions by the prosecutor general. That same evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law.In response, protests were held for several consecutive days in various Ukrainian cities following the adoption of this law.Reacting to public opposition and concern from international partners, Zelenskyy submitted a new draft law to parliament, which he said would “reinforce the rule-of-law system” and preserve “all safeguards for the independence of anti-corruption institutions”.On 31 July, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a new law restoring the powers stripped from NABU and SAPO.Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk signed it at record speed, followed shortly by the president.

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