Anti-Corruption Court should pass sentences in cases of high-level corruption
The system of Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies needs to be improved in order for it to work better. This was a topic of public discussion "The NABU, the SAPO, the ARMA — achievements and challenges". The event was held in Kharkiv on January 23, 2019.
"Fight against corruption is impossible without citizens’ participating. We are open for cooperation and ready to listen to everyone", said Yuriy Kravchenko, the Director of the Kharkiv Territorial Office of the NABU. He told that the staff of the Kharkiv Territorial Office carried out 45 public meetings and satisfied almost 800 requests during 2018. The part of the requests became the basis of criminal proceedings of the NABU Detectives.
Vitaliy Kravets, the SAPO Prosecutor, said that the most anticipated this year was the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Court, which aims to accelerate hearings of the cases.
"We play in a game which rules are constantly changing. The vivid example — the last amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. We do not need "our court", but a court that will make legal decisions", stressed Vitaliy Kravets.
Iryna Glagola, the representative of the National Agency of Ukraine for finding, tracing and management of assets derived from corruption and other crimes (ARMA), informed about agency’s authorities and gave examples of successful management of seized property in Ukraine. She told in details about management of two combined heat and power plants of Novyj Rozdil and of Novoyavorivsk.
The anti-corruption agencies were established on demand of international partners, who still demonstrate their comprehensive support. "The improvement of the qualifications of the staff of the NABU and the SAPO is a priority direction of our activities," said Serhiy Derkach, representative of the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI).
More than 100 representatives of the non-governmental organizations, journalists, scientists and students took part in that public discussion. Among the speakers there were Directors of the Territorial Offices of the NABU, the SAPO Prosecutor, representatives of the ARMA, Civil Oversight Council at the ARMA, Public Council of Integrity and the Ukrainian Bar Association. The event was organized with a support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine.
