Ukraine's court orders probe into suspected corruption involving Zelensky's parliamentary group leader

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court on Nov. 4 ordered Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi to open a case into alleged corruption involving David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's parliamentary group, following a complaint by the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC).

AntA, an independent watchdog, filed a complaint with Kovalskyi in October, asking him to investigate Arakhamia's possible involvement in buying votes in parliament.

The complaint cited a case involving lawmakers who, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), may have received cash in exchange for their votes.

Five lawmakers from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party were charged in the case in late December, including Yurii Kisel, head of the parliamentary transport committee and one of Arakhamia's deputies.

At the time, searches were also conducted at the premises of Arakhamia's aide, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent.

According to the source, the investigation could involve more members of parliament, and some lawmakers had been questioned in the case.

AntAC said on Oct. 26 that the Prosecutor General's Office had refused to register the complaint, saying the circumstances described in it were already under investigation in another criminal case.

Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer at AntAC, told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 5 that the acting prosecutor general's approval was necessary for NABU to investigate Arakhamia, as "Ukrainian law gives the prosecutor general exclusive authority to register alleged crimes involving members of parliament."

Shevchuk said that AntAC was "in no way declaring Arakhamia guilty," adding that the court should have upheld the watchdog's complaint against him under the law.

Asked whether Arakhamia is under investigation, Oleksandr Klymenko, chief of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, said in August that anti-corruption agencies were constrained in investigating lawmakers because they had to obtain the prosecutor general's approval.

The Nov. 4 ruling requires Kovalskyi to register the allegations, removing a procedural obstacle to a pre-trial investigation into Arakhamia, AntAC said.

Shevchuk said that if Kovalskyi does not comply, AntAC will pursue further action, including disciplinary measures against the acting prosecutor general.

The watchdog said the Prosecutor General's Office had also refused to open a case against Arakhamia in February, following a complaint by another anti-corruption NGO, Mezha. At the time, the prosecutor general was Ruslan Kravchenko, who fled Ukraine in September amid a corruption scandal.

Before resigning, Kravchenko met with Zelensky and Arakhamia on Sept. 7. Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported that Arakhamia had been lobbying against Kravchenko's resignation.

In early November, Kovalskyi told reporters that he had never met with Arakhamia.

When asked about the accusations, Arakhamia told the Kyiv Independent that he "hadn't had time to look into the matter."

"I'm not involved in anything that is not related to the possibility of de-escalating the war or passing bills necessary to secure financial assistance for the country," Arakhamia told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 5.

Arakhamia has played a key role in keeping Ukraine's increasingly strained, now seventh-year parliament functioning and securing votes for key legislation.

In recent months, Arakhamia has dramatically increased his clout, with some analysts and lawmakers describing him to the Kyiv Independent as the second most influential person in Ukraine. His position grew notably stronger after the dismissal of the President's Office head, Andriy Yermak, last fall.

Arakhamia has been brought back into Ukraine's negotiating team for peace talks with the U.S. and Russia. On Nov. 5, he is expected to join Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets for a meeting with Russian representatives at the White House, hosted by U.S. first lady Melania Trump.

Allegations that Ukrainian lawmakers secretly receive cash as an unofficial allowance or a way to encourage certain votes have circulated for years.

Arakhamia denied in 2022 that lawmakers were receiving unofficial cash payments. But lawmakers from other parties argued that, as the head of the parliamentary group, he must have been aware of the practice, and they speculated that he may even have helped establish the system to maintain control over voting.