Ukraine to classify corruption as treason: Details of plans to reform anti-graft laws
The President's Office is developing a bill on strengthening responsibility for corruption crimes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy promises to introduce it to the Verkhovna Rada this week. LIGA.net received a preliminary draft of the document.
According to three sources familiar with the matter (two parliamentary sources and one from the Zelenskyy administration), the draft law is being developed under the leadership of Oleh Tatarov, deputy head of the President's Office.
The authors propose to introduce two new articles into the Criminal Code: encroachment on the economic and military security of Ukraine.
In particular, causing significant damage to the economic security of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law, committed by misusing, misappropriating or wasting budget funds, humanitarian aid, grants aimed at the restoration of Ukraine, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years with confiscation of property.
Acceptance of an offer of undue benefit by an official is proposed to be punished by 10 to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. Should the legislation pass, military personnel or officials holding a responsible (or particularly responsible) position convicted of these crimes would be liable to serve 15 years in prison along with the seizure of personal wealth.
Damage that exceeds 18,000 or more times the tax-free minimum income of citizens – more than UAH 24,156,000 ($654,000) will be considered significant.
The key proposal is included in the Criminal Procedure Code. The SBU must conduct a pre-trial investigation under the new articles.
This version was criticized by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and international partners, an interlocutor in the presidency told LIGA.net.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President's Office, asks to wait for the finalization and publication of the text of the draft law as certain nuances may still be discussed in expert circles.
"What can be said with absolute certainty: this initiative will not affect the permanent anti-corruption infrastructure in the form of NABU-SAPO-HACCU," he assured LIGA.net.
On June 23, President Zelenskyy ordered the creation of a commission to check all military commissariats in all regions. This happened after the scandal with the military commissar of Odesa Yevhen Borysov, whose family possessed luxury real estate and cars abroad and in Ukraine.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy announced his intention to equate corruption with treason during martial law.
