The representative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Julia Fromholtz warned the team of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that restricting the activities of the anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAPO will negatively affect defense investments in Ukraine and reconstruction financing.
Points of attention
- OECD calls on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to reverse the decision and veto the bill to prevent jeopardizing Ukraine's future aspirations to join the organization.
- Failing to address the issue of restricting NABU and SAPO activities may have serious implications for Ukraine's authority and credibility in the eyes of allies and investors.
OECD calls on official Kyiv to reverse scandalous decision
On July 22, Julia Fromholtz, Head of the OECD Anti-Corruption Division, expressed "deep concern about recent developments" concerning the NABU and the SAPO: the adoption of draft law No. 12414.
She sent a letter about this to the Deputy Head of the President's Office, Iryna Mudria.
Julia Fromholts draws the attention of Zelensky's team to the fact that the new law significantly undermines the independence of Ukraine's specialized anti-corruption bodies.
According to her, such steps by Bankova may be regarded by the OECP as a weakening of Ukraine's compliance with its obligations.
In addition, Fromholz warned that this law would jeopardize Ukraine's future aspirations to join the OECD. That is why she called on Zelensky to veto this bill.
"If this letter reaches you after the bill is signed, we call for further legislative changes to preserve the independence of specialized anti-corruption bodies. I urge you to consider this issue with the utmost seriousness," the letter says.
As Fromholz noted, if this problem is not resolved, it will undermine Ukraine's authority among its allies, including those who are considering investing in Ukraine's defense sector and its long-term reconstruction.
