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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is investigating cases involving more than 60 members of parliament. This was reported to the Financial Times by the head of one of NABU’s detective units, Oleksandr Abakumov; the piece was published on 10 September.
He said the bureau now finds itself in a "rather difficult situation," because a further increase in the number of deputies under investigation could give them enough votes to change the laws that regulate NABU’s work.
FT notes that over the past year NABU has become a significant force in Ukrainian politics, conducting investigations into officials close to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The article mentions investigations that led to the dismissal of two ministers and the resignation of Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak. The individuals named in these cases deny any wrongdoing.
NABU recently released a 35-minute video, "Carthage," about a network of call centers that allegedly defrauded Europeans. The piece referred to an employee of the Office of the Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, and Serhiy Kropyva, who allegedly protected this network. After widespread publicity, Kravchenko resigned.
FT calls NABU a "Damocles' sword" for Ukrainian politicians. According to former European Union diplomat and Ukraine analyst Balazs Jarabik, politicians are constantly worried about who might be the bureau’s next target.
At the same time, some deputies accuse NABU of becoming a political actor itself and being used to settle scores. Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko rejected claims that the bureau has its own political agenda.
Analysts and officials say NABU’s activity already has a noticeable political impact: in particular, investigations into Zelensky’s inner circle are believed to have reduced his chances of re-election.
NABU Director Semen Kryvonos told FT that claims of the bureau’s politicization are based on a "false dilemma"—that Ukraine supposedly must choose between winning the war and an independent anti-corruption system. In his view, no such choice exists.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item ""Дамоклів меч" для українських політиків. НАБУ розслідує справи щодо понад 60 депутатів". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Gordon.
