Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine appoints prosecutor general, new anti-corruption chief

Ukraine appoints prosecutor general, new anti-corruption chief

Volodymyr Zelenskyy had fired the previous prosecutor general two weeks ago.

As part of his first major shakeup of Ukrainian law enforcement officials since the start of the Russian aggression, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday appointed a new prosecutor general. The move in turn paved the way for the immediate appointment of a new anti-corruption prosecutor, which was part of Kyiv’s obligations to its Western backers.

The new prosecutor general is 49-year-old Andriy Kostin, who had served as an MP for Zelenskyy’s parliamentary faction.

The appointment came two weeks after Zelenskyy fired the previous prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, as well as the chief of the nation’s main security service (SBU), Ivan Bakanov, citing their inability to root out Russian agents who had infiltrated Ukrainian law enforcement.

Hundreds of investigations have been started into treason and Russian collaboration involving employees of prosecutor’s offices, pre-trial investigation bodies and other law enforcement agencies, Zelenskyy said at the time.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy said during a meeting with Kostin that the most important task for the prosecutor’s office was “to bring to justice all Russian war criminals who came to our land and did everything that, unfortunately, we and our children know in detail.”

Kostin said that no crime committed by the aggressor country would go unpunished, according to Zelenskyy’s office.

Immediately after his appointment, Kostin green-lighted Oleksandr Klymenko to become the head of the nation’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s office — a body created with the aim of supervising high-level corruption investigations.

The anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, which was created in 2015 as part of Kyiv’s commitments to Western backers to tackle endemic corruption in the country, had remained without a head for almost two years.

Klymenko, 35, is a former detective at the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), another law enforcement agency created under Western pressure with the aim of investigating corruption cases in which influential politicians and businessmen could be involved.

Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, said Thursday that an independent anti-corruption infrastructure is “an important component of democracy” in Ukraine. “The fight against corruption is a priority for our country, as our investment attractiveness and business freedom depend on its success,” he added.

In June, immediately after the EU granted Ukraine candidate status, Yermak said that the fight against corruption is on Brussels’ long list of demands that must be met by Kyiv as it begins negotiations to join the bloc.

According to Yermak, the appointment of the head of the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office was among the priorities that the Ukrainian leadership had agreed with Brussels.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×