Ukraine officials held in military drone corruption probe
A Ukrainian deputy and other officials were arrested after the country’s anti -corruption agencies, drones and electronic war systems of the country called a large -scale bribery plan.
In a statement about the X, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a Ukrainian deputy, regional and city administrations and several national guards were subjected to the participation of a few national guards, and that the suppliers contain state contracts signed up to 30%.
Zelensky wrote that there may be “zero tolerance” for corruption in Ukraine and thanked the agencies for their work.
The independence of Ukraine’s Anti -Corruption Agencies was restored on Thursday after the country -wide protests.
Zelensky’s government met with a comprehensive reaction after bringing a bill that would rob the Anti -Corruption Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, known as Nabu and SAP, respectively.
The president claimed that the agencies should be “cleansed from the Russian influence” and tried to give the general prosecutor the authority to decide who should be prosecuted in high -level corruption cases.
Many saw the movement as a step for corruption in Ukraine, and Russia resulted in the largest anti -government demonstrations because it launched a full -scale invasion of the country in 2022.
Zelensky accepted public anger and presented a new bill that restored the old independence of the agencies voted by Parliament only nine days after the original bill was accepted.
Kyrylo Budanov, the main intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (HUR), thanked Zelensky for the forces of the Anti -Corruption Agencies and “not to make mistakes”.
The Movement was also praised by the EU allies, who expressed concerns about the results of the original bill.
The fight against corruption is important in Ukraine’s offer to join the EU. The creation of Nabu and SAP was a requirement determined by the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund in 2014 to move towards the relaxation of visa restrictions.
As a result, Kiev was given the status of EU candidates in 2022 and brought the country another step towards the ties to the West with the West.
Since its establishments, Nabu and SAP have been involved in extensive investigations in the abuse of assets and bribes of millions of dollars in various ministries and sectors.
The joint investigation in 2023 resulted in the arrest of Vsevolod Kniazev, the President of the High Court of Ukraine, in connection with bribes of $ 3 million (£ 2.4 million; € 2.9 million).
