Over half of MPs suspected by NABU backed law curbing anti-corruption agency's independence
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More than half of the Ukrainian lawmakers named in corruption probes by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) voted in favor of a controversial law dismantling the independence of the bureau, ZN.UA reported on July 23.
The law, passed and signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 22, gives sweeping new powers to the prosecutor general over NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), both designed to function independently.
Civil society groups, opposition lawmakers, and international partners have condemned the move, calling it a threat to Ukraine's anti-corruption gains and EU integration path.
According to public records, 31 sitting or former members of the current parliament are suspected of corruption by NABU. Of those, 18 voted in favor of the law, while two abstained or did not vote, and five were absent or removed their cards before the vote.
Fifteen of the 31 are members of Zelensky's Servant of the People party.
Critics warn the new law recategorizes NABU and SAPO as regular law enforcement agencies, stripping them of their independence and enabling political interference in investigations. The prosecutor general can now override investigative decisions and block cases.
Opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak of the Holos party said on July 23 that parliament members have begun collecting signatures to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed "serious concern" on July 22 over the bill and its implications for Ukraine's EU commitments.
The law's passage also triggered mass protests in Kyiv and major cities across Ukraine. Demonstrators have vowed to continue pushing for its repeal.
