The ambassadors of the "Great Seven" countries reminded Kyiv of the critical importance of appointing the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office.
The corresponding appeal was published by the German presidency of the group of G7 ambassadors in Kyiv.
"As we discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna on July 7, the G7 ambassadors reiterate that the timely appointment of the head of the SAP is critically important for strengthening Ukraineʼs anti-corruption institutions," the message reads.
The appointment of the head of the SAP and the head of the National Anti-corruption Bureau is a condition for maintaining the status of a candidate for joining the European Union. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated in the Verkhovna Rada about the need to appoint the head of the SAP.
On July 1, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the competition for the position of director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau will be announced in the coming days or weeks.
- The competition commission has not been able to elect a new head of the SAP for almost two years, the reason for this being internal conflicts and alleged "pressure from the authorities". At the same time, two candidates for the positions of the head of the SAP and the deputy head were still identified. According to scores, NABU detective Oleksandr Klymenko should become the head of the SAP, and prosecutor Andriy Sinyuk should become his deputy. But the commission cannot approve the final results.
- In September of last year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi promised US President Joe Biden that the SAP would get a new head by the end of 2021, the same promise is contained in Ukraineʼs memorandum with the IMF.
- Activists accuse the competition of commission members from the Verkhovna Rada, who are allegedly controlled by the deputy head of the Presidentʼs Office, Oleh Tatarov, for delaying and disrupting the competition. They believe that Tatarov is trying to disrupt the contest, because NABU detective Oleksandr Klymenko is winning. It was he who led the investigation into the case of the ex-director of Ukrbud, Maksym Mykytas, in which Tatarov also appeared.