Support of international partners and society is crucial in our fight against corruption - Artem Sytnyk

"The anti-corruption infrastructure - NABU, SAPO, HACC, NACP - has been set up in Ukraine and is successfully operating. Nonetheless, we constantly feel pressure; there are permanent attempts to destroy the independence of anti-corruption bodies. Due to the support of international partners and civil society, we remain independent in our investigations and keep exposing top-level corruption. People have finally seen the long-awaited sentences," Artem Sytnyk said at a panel discussion “Eastern Partnership: Crisis and Opportunities”, May 20, 2021.

 

 

According to him, during the six years of NABU's work, about 20 attempts have been made to change the legislation in one way or another in order to curtail the independence of the Bureau. On the other hand, it shows the effectiveness of investigations conducted by the Detectives.

 

Artem Sytnyk also reminded that in the fall of 2019, the High Anti-Corruption Court began its work — NABU had been insisting on its launch since 2016.

 

"Prior to HACC's launch, corruption cases stayed untouched in courts of first instance, in fact, there were no verdicts. Since the beginning of NABU's work, we have exposed more than 60 judges. And now some of them have already been sentenced to prison by HACC,” NABU Director stressed.

 

During the discussion, representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova shared their experience in building an anti-corruption infrastructure in their countries, and shared their experience in overcoming challenges in their work.

 

 

The event was organized under the EU for Integrity Programme for the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) jointly implemented by OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (OECD ACN) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The programme aims to strengthen the collective support and resources available to country reformers to deepen reforms and advance bold, new ideas.