On 22/7, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law granting the prosecutor general, a presidential appointee, greater control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). President Volodymyr Zelensky subsequently signed the bill into law.

NABU investigates corruption within state agencies, while SAPO prosecutes corruption cases.

President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Italy, on 10/7. Photo: *AP*

Critics argue that the law consolidates power in the presidency, potentially enabling government interference in major corruption investigations. Hundreds protested in Kyiv, a rare display of public dissent since the 2022 start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, chanting "Veto the law."

"It was passed hastily," said 26-year-old game designer Anastasia. "This is clearly deliberate."

The Anti-Corruption Action Center, a non-governmental organization, warns that the law could render anti-corruption efforts meaningless, as Zelensky's appointed prosecutor general could "halt investigations into all the president's friends."

A woman holds a phone displaying "Veto" during a protest against the law restricting anti-corruption institutions in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 22/7. Photo: *AP*

NABU, established in 2015 as Ukraine sought closer ties with the EU after the 2014 revolution, has uncovered widespread corruption, including within the Zelensky administration.

Many protesters worry that Ukraine is reversing a decade of democratization. The country's recent tough stance on corruption has been key both for EU accession and reassuring allies providing aid.

The European Union (EU) called the law a "serious setback." EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos emphasized that independent anti-corruption institutions are "essential for Ukraine's EU path."

Anastasia Radina, chair of the Ukrainian parliament's anti-corruption committee, believes the new law contradicts the country's EU aspirations. Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who resigned in 2024, called the measures "a bad day for Ukraine."

President Zelensky maintains that NABU and SAPO will "continue to operate" despite the changes, stating that Ukraine's anti-corruption structure needs to be "rid of Russian influence."

"The prosecutor general is determined to ensure that every crime in Ukraine will be punished," he said.

On 21/7, Ukrainian law enforcement raided NABU headquarters, arresting an employee accused of spying for Russia.

Transparency International Ukraine, the Ukrainian branch of the German-based global NGO, criticized the raid as "an attempt by the authorities to undermine the independence of anti-corruption institutions."

Transparency International ranked Ukraine 105th out of 180 countries in its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, up from 144th in 2013.

Vu Hoang (According to *AFP*)