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Ukraine Votes to Restore Independent Oversight to Anti-Corruption Agencies
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine’s Parliament unanimously approved a presidential bill restoring the full independence of the country’s top anti-corruption bodies—the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)—after a recent law sparked intense backlash for curbing their powers. The Ukrainian President has already signed the bill.
The bill, registered as No. 13533 and introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, passed with 331 votes in favor, well above the required 226. It was adopted both as a basis and in full, following a unanimous recommendation from the parliamentary Law Enforcement Committee, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported on July 31.
The move is seen as a rapid course correction after the controversial passage of bill No. 12414 earlier this month, which significantly weakened the independence of NABU and SAP by placing them under the effective control of the Prosecutor General.
UPD. According to the Ukrainian Parliament, Zelenskyy signed the bill, so it will come into force the next day, after publication in the parliamentary newspaper.
Zheleznyak added that the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament had already signed the bill, and it has now passed for the President’s signature.
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What was the controversy?
On July 22, the Ukrainian Parliament passed bill No. 12414 with 263 votes. It included last-minute amendments before the second reading that allowed the Prosecutor General to:
Access any NABU case or delegate access to other prosecutors;
Issue binding written instructions to NABU detectives;
Reassign investigations to other agencies if instructions aren’t followed;
Close investigations at the request of the defense;
Resolve jurisdictional disputes unilaterally;
Personally sign charges against top officials;
Exclude SAP leadership from prosecutor groups, effectively stripping them of influence.
The law drew sharp criticism from civil society and international observers for rolling back Ukraine’s progress in judicial and anti-corruption reforms. Despite protests and attempts to block the vote, the bill was passed and signed into law by President Zelenskyy on July 23.
Swift reversal
The latest bill No. 13533 effectively repeals the controversial provisions of No. 12414 and restores operational independence to NABU and SAP. President Zelenskyy is also set to sign it in “turbo mode,” according to parliamentary sources.
The swift turnaround comes amid pressure to maintain Ukraine’s reform commitments to Western allies, particularly the EU and IMF, which have linked anti-corruption safeguards to continued financial and military support.
Earlier, the NABU and the SAPO expressed their readiness to engage in discussions and contribute to the preparation of President Zelenskyy’s proposed bill, which will guarantee the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions.
