Ukraine Prosecutor General Resigns Amid Sweeping Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Resignation of Ruslan Kravchenko and Its Implications
By Dan Peleschuk
KYIV, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Ukraine's prosecutor general resigned his post late on Monday after a corruption investigation reached his office, becoming the latest senior official ensnared in an intensified anti-graft crackdown by Kyiv's independent watchdogs.
Background of the Resignation
Ruslan Kravchenko was not charged with a crime or named a suspect in any investigation. But authorities had accused a subordinate of helping run a fraud ring, prompting the presidential appointee to quit to avoid "political confrontation".
"This is a political decision, and I have made it consciously," said Kravchenko, 36, in a statement. He denied any wrongdoing.
Series of Corruption Scandals
The case is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption scandals that have claimed the jobs of senior officials in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government and forced several wartime shake-ups.
Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he would submit Kravchenko's request to parliament, where lawmakers must approve his resignation.
Details of the Investigation
Stacks of Cash and Bribery Allegations
STACKS OF CASH
The investigation by the NABU and SAPO agencies, announced on Saturday, centres on a department manager whom prosecutors say took bribes for helping to cover up a call centre that defrauded Ukrainians and foreigners.
They said the official recruited fellow employees and friends to launder nearly $1 million in proceeds through real estate purchases and other assets.
The agencies published photos of a safe filled with stacks of cash and detectives confiscating a luxury SUV.
Public Reaction and Previous Scandals
Such vivid instances of alleged graft have fuelled public anger at a time when Ukraine is fighting for survival against Russia.
Last year, Zelenskiy faced the worst political crisis of the war after his ex-business partner was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency.
Calls for Reform and Future Outlook
Reforming the Prosecutor's Office
CALLS TO REFORM PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
Kravchenko had been criticised by opponents for allegedly participating in an attempt to roll back the powers of NABU and SAPO last year - accusations he has denied.
In Ukraine, the prosecutor's office enjoys considerable powers, ranging from probing corruption to investigating war crimes.
Zelenskiy, who had faced protests last year over the proposed restrictions on the anti-corruption agencies, said on Tuesday that he had met with Kravchenko as well as NABU and SAPO following the latest investigation.
Political and International Implications
Opposition lawmaker Andrii Osadchuk, deputy chair of parliament's law-enforcement committee, said the scandal underlines the need to reform the prosecution service and called for key posts to be filled through open competition.
Fighting corruption is also critical to Kyiv's bid for membership in the European Union.
"It will be very difficult for Ukraine to move forward if we do not change the approach to selecting and appointing the prosecutor general and prosecutors at lower levels," Osadchuk said.
(Additional reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Stephen Coates and Ros Russell)
