Appointment of a new head of the anti-corruption office in Ukraine

Semyon Kryvonos has been appointed as the new director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Previously, he headed the National Inspectorate of Architecture and Town Planning.He will hold his new position for seven years.In his video message, Krivonos said he would make officials “fear God, the people of Ukraine and NABU”.Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal selected Semyon Kryvonos as one of the three finalists in the competition, and the Cabinet of Ministers approved his candidacy.
“Our team is committed to the principles of zero tolerance for corruption and supporting anti-corruption institutions,” Shmyhal said. He noted that the personnel changes are in line with the recommendations of the European Commission.Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership last June, 4 months after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. The European Union has urged Kiev to make the fight against corruption a priority. The EU sees the appointment of a new head of the anti-corruption office as an important step in this direction.The Anti-Corruption Action Center, a Kiev-based nongovernmental organization, expressed concern that Krivonos lacked relevant professional experience and that he may have ties to the presidential administration. They promised to closely follow the work of the new leader.Ukrainian authorities have intensified their fight against corruption in recent months – they have reduced the time for investigations and actively fire officials involved in scandals. NABU is committed to initiating investigations into alleged corruption offenses and, together with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine, brings cases to court.In the past six months, according to NABU, the office has opened cases against 149 people suspected of corruption. That’s more than 2020 and 2021 combined.