The parliament approved the bill on Anti-corruption Bureau

Photo: Konstantin Melnitsky

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill On the Anti-corruption Bureau in the second reading with 247 votes. The bill envisages introduction of the office of detectives, as well as creation of a specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, which will be overseeing compliance with the laws on activities of the Anti-corruption Bureau.

The new law prohibits hiring to the Bureau individuals, who have been serving at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the SBU and the PGO for the last five years, as well as those who provided false information in their tax declarations inconsistent with the actual data by more than 50 real wages.

In addition, the list of officials falling within jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was extended. In particular, those include the employees of the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption, as well as former presidents of Ukraine.

The bill also provides a procedure for civil forfeiture of illegally acquired property.

Chair of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Yuriy Lutsenko stated in the Rada that the Contest Committee would introduce three candidates for the office of director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, of which the president would have to choose one person. In addition, based on the negative conclusion of the international audit the president or the parliamentary coalition will be entitled to decide on director’s resignation.

“Such provision will be included in the text of the bill, because it was agreed just now during the meeting of the coalition. That is, the president appoints the director, and the parliament and the president will have the right to dismiss the official. This will provide the balance of powers in the matter of influence on the operation of the agency,” said Lutsenko.

As it was previously reported by Capital, on February 3 the Rada adopted the bill in the first reading.