G7 ambassadors urge Ukraine to appoint head of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office vacant since August 2020.

According to the G7 Ambassadors’ Support Group, currently led by Germany, the appointment of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) "is critically important for strengthening Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions." The post has been vacant since August 2020, when then head Nazar Kholodnytskyi resigned ahead of schedule.

The chief anti-corruption prosecutor oversees cases led by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) tasked with investigating top-level corruption in Ukraine. Appointing the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has been one of the key requests of the European Union, and key donors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

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A memorandum between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund, signed in November, envisaged the election of a new chief by December 2021. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen also pointed out that Ukraine must appoint the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, during her speech on the occasion of granting Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status.

However, the commission tasked with appointing the new head of SAPO has continuously failed to finish the process.

The panel that chooses the anti-corruption prosecutor consists of four international experts and six members delegated by parliament. Three of the pro-government members failed to attend a panel meeting on Feb. 3, and there was no quorum as a result. Since the start of the full-scale war, the commission has not convened.

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