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
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×