President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had submitted a new bill to restore the independence of National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) in response to public demand and protests.
He said this during a meeting with journalists, according to Suspilne.
“It is very important that society speaks out. I respect the opinion of society. I believe that it is absolutely normal to react when people do not want something, when people do not like something. People said: everything must be done according to the law. It was very important for me that we listened and responded appropriately. We responded,” the president said.
According to him, the new bill contains provisions that should protect anti-corruption agencies from Russian influence. In particular, it refers to polygraph tests for employees who have relatives in Russia.
The president also explained why he did not discuss the previous bill before signing it. He stressed that he was focused on the issue of war — the main threat to Ukraine.
“Probably, there should have been a dialogue. It is always necessary to communicate. I am focused on the issue of war because right now in Ukraine, the number one issue is the issue of war. The most important problem is war. The main enemy is Russia,” Zelensky said.