Independence of NABU and SAPO: main Committee to meet on July 30 on Zelenskyy's bill

On July 30, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement will consider president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's draft law on the return of independence to anti-corruption bodies. This was stated in the commentary LIGA.net said first deputy chairman of the Committee Andriy Osadchuk (faction Holos).

According to him, the Committee will meet on Wednesday at 13:00.

Osadchuk noted that the vote on the bill in the session hall will take place on July 31. This date was also named by speaker of the parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk.

The Law Enforcement Committee is the main one for the draft law.

Earlier, the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy supported the adoption of this document, said head of the body Anastasia Radina (Servant of the people).

"[The draft law] meets the requirements of anti-corruption legislation and does not contain any corruption risks," the politician said.

According to her, during the meeting, the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau Semen Kryvonos confirmed that the draft law fully restores guarantees of independence of anti-corruption agencies.

"It is important to adopt the draft law on restoring the independence of the NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office as a basis and in general this Thursday. Adopting it only in the first reading does not solve the problem. It will only mean an additional opportunity for interference in the cases investigated by the NABU and the SAPO. I urge my colleagues to prevent this and adopt the law as a whole," Radina wrote.

Media Espresso, citing its own sources in the parliament claimed that the anti-corruption Committee was able to make a decision only on the second attempt: during the first attempt, the meeting did not take place due to the lack of a quorum (a sufficient number of members to make decisions).

LIGA.net asked the head of the Committee, Radina, for a comment, but has not yet received a response.

• The European Pravda media outlet, citing its interlocutors, stated that the EU had warned Kyiv through diplomatic channels about the risk of suspending financial assistance in case of failure to do so, if the Verkhovna Rada does not restore the independence of NABU and SAPO.