Oleksandr Klymenko was appointed head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) on July 19, 2022. This structure of prosecutors is responsible for overseeing and bringing to justice criminal investigations launched by the National Office anti-corruption (NABU). Since the beginning of the war, thirteen prosecutors (or 23% of the workforce) of SAPO have joined the armed forces. This former NABU police investigator details the changes still needed to get faster results.
The work of anti-corruption agencies has never been more important to Ukrainians. This fight is also crucial since Ukraine received the status of a candidate country to the European Union in June 2022. How do you face these challenges?
Polls show that Ukrainians overwhelmingly reject corruption and more than 84% want it exposed and made public, regardless of the rank of corrupt officials. The main indicator of the fight against corruption is the number of convictions. It is necessary to relieve the courts and increase their number. And we need to improve the legislation because today it allows cases to be delayed indefinitely. Some have been ongoing since 2016.
Several corruption scandals marred the past year, despite the war. How do you explain it?
This impression is due to the fact that we have become more efficient. In fact, the work of SAPO intensified with my appointment and that of my deputy. Before that, there was no leader for two years, which significantly complicated the conduct of all criminal proceedings.
Do you follow a priority logic?
All files are important to us, but we always pay more attention to criminal organizations that are active. That said, our effectiveness will not be assessed by the number of procedures registered, but by the number of convictions. Old cases are therefore not neglected, because it is important not only to detect, but also to bring to justice.
How many verdicts have been pronounced since your arrival at the head of SAPO?
It’s not that fast. After my appointment, there have already been verdicts on plea agreements [accord dans lequel une personne plaide coupable en échange d’une peine plus légère]. They are pronounced as quickly as possible. In other cases, it usually takes two years for a case to be heard in court. And I’ve been in office for less than a year. Since the start of the war, we have sent more than a hundred cases to justice, and 250 people are currently being investigated or prosecuted.
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