Ukraine's anti-corruption chiefs tell EU accession talks would protect them, sources say

Ukrainian anti-corruption officials have told the European Commission that opening accession negotiations would protect them from further attempts to weaken their independence, sources familiar with the issue have told Euronews.

Semen Kryvonos, the director of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and Oleksandr Klymenko, the deputy prosecutor general and head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), met with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement on Tuesday.

Sources speaking on condition of anonymity told Euronews the two men urged the Commission to continue supporting Ukraine's bid for EU membership. They argue it would safeguard their anti-corruption enforcement activities and that rule of law requirements are a big part of the accession process.

The heads of the two agencies brought up cases of possible state interference with their work, including the detention of two of their detectives following search and seizures by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) against 17 of their employees over allegations of Russian infiltration, the sources also said.

Both anti-corruption agencies refute the claims made against their employees.

NABU and SAPO also believe that a draft law currently being examined that would provide complete immunity from criminal liability to people taking part in counterintelligence activities would chip away at their independence.

Under the proposed bill, the SBU would be able to shield anyone, including other officials or businessmen, from a NABU or SAPO investigation by attesting they assisted them in their work.

It comes less than a month after the adoption by the country's parliament and ratification by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of a law that would have severely limited NABU and SAPO's powers to investigate high-level corruption triggered mass protests across the country.

The law, which also drew criticism from civil society and the Commission, was subsequently removed.

A Commission spokesperson told Euronews that during their meeting on Tuesday Kos "reiterated her full support" for the work that NABU and SAPO undertake and that it is "critical for Ukraine's EU accession and reconstruction".

"The Commissioner stressed the importance of the fight against corruption in Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU, explaining that it is both part of the fundamentals cluster in the formal accession track, as well as indispensable safeguard for investors and businesses which are needed for Ukraine’s reconstruction and prosperity," the spokesperson added.

The war-torn country was granted EU candidate status within months of submitting its bid shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The European Commission has since declared that Ukraine had successfully carried out all the work required to open the first cluster of negotiations but that step has been held up for months by Hungary.

Opening such talks requires unanimity from the 27 member states.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly derided Ukraine as a corrupt mafia state.

An external audit of NABU released earlier this year concluded the body is moderately effective. It recommended, among 26 proposals, that NABU be allowed to conduct autonomous wiretapping and gain direct access to classified information in order to boost its independence.