How to Restore Trust in the Office of the Prosecutor General After a Corruption Scandal: Experts' Perspectives

After a high-profile corruption scandal surrounding the Office of the Prosecutor General, personnel and systemic changes are necessary to restore trust in the institution. Former Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka proposes decentralizing the prosecution service, while Member of Parliament Fedir Venislavskyi suggests subjecting leadership to polygraph examinations. They told this to Glavcom.

Prosecutor General in the 2019–2020 years Ruslan Ryaboshapka believes one of the causes of the current problems lies in the unfinished reform of the prosecution service carried out during his tenure. Its goals, besides cleansing the system and bringing in new people, were to reduce the prosecution’s dependence on its head and to transform the agency into an independent institution.

According to Ryaboshapka, one of the main problems remains a rigid hierarchy and an excessive concentration of powers in the hands of the Prosecutor General. Such a system allows the head of the agency to influence prosecutors through personnel, disciplinary, and procedural mechanisms.

“Therefore, the ‘decentralization’ of the prosecution is essential: some of the Prosecutor General’s powers should be transferred to independent prosecutorial governance bodies (with mandatory participation of external, non-prosecutor experts). The key role in matters of a future prosecutor’s career—hiring, professional evaluation and promotion, disciplinary measures and dismissals—should belong to these bodies, not to the head of the prosecution. But the current qualification and disciplinary bodies must also be reformed; they still lack sufficient powers and independence from the Prosecutor General. It is essential to restore competitions for positions within the prosecution, particularly to involve outside professionals who could break the caste-like nature and closedness of the system,” the former Prosecutor General explained.

Ryaboshapka is also convinced that the prosecution’s coordination function should be used to combat crime, not to “cover” illegal activities and extract corrupt rents. At the same time, he named political will as the key condition for fighting corruption.

“Have you seen safes stuffed with money of unknown origin in prosecutor’s offices or other institutions during the 2019–2020 years? Was there a single corruption scandal on Bankova Street or in the ministries?” No—during that time a series of anti-corruption reforms were implemented, and conflicts between law enforcement agencies ceased. Political will sets the tone for the work of the state apparatus, and the appropriate signals are transmitted from the very top down to the lowest levels of management. So you have to start with the right signals from above,” Ruslan Ryaboshapka is confident.

Another path to cleanse the Office of the Prosecutor General was proposed by Member of Parliament from Servant of the People and former Presidential Representative to the Verkhovna Rada Fedir Venislavskyi. He recalled that back in 2023 he registered draft law No.10322, which provides for mandatory polygraph testing for a number of high-ranking officials.

The proposed list included the Prosecutor General, the heads of the National Police, the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR), the State Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), as well as their first deputies and deputies. In Venislavskyi’s view, after recent events this initiative should be returned to consideration.

“In the current situation, heads of divisions, directorates, and departments of the Office of the Prosecutor General should be passed through the polygraph. In my opinion, as soon as the issue of polygraph testing for all leaders arises, those who have certain skeletons in the closet will simply refuse and submit resignation letters. That will be a good first signal for cleansing the institution,” the lawmaker believes.

In addition to polygraph checks, Venislavskyi proposed strengthening internal control within the Office of the Prosecutor General, in particular the work of the General Inspectorate. The future head of the prosecution, he is convinced, must be an independent and impartial professional who cannot be influenced by outsiders.

Recall that late on the evening of 7 September, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced his resignation against the backdrop of the NABU and SAP operation “Carthage.” First Deputy Prosecutor General Mariya Vdovychenko, who also appeared on tapes of anti-corruption agencies, submitted her resignation as well. According to Glavcom’s sources, 8 September is her last working day in the position.