“National Anti-Corruption Bureau for Servicing Corrupt Officials”: Heorhiy Tuka on the activities of NABU

Society is extremely dissatisfied with the effectiveness of anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine. Despite loud statements, reports and statistical indicators that demonstrate the fight against corruption, the real state of affairs remains extremely far from the expectations of citizens. For almost a decade of the existence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HCC), society has not seen a systematic breakdown of corruption schemes and the prosecution of top officials who have been enriching themselves for years at the expense of state resources.

This issue is especially acute in the conditions of a full-scale war, when every hryvnia counts, and corruption abuses can directly affect the country’s security. Despite the martial law, embezzlement of budget funds, opaque tenders and bribery not only did not disappear, but in some cases even intensified, adapting to new realities. Defense procurement, humanitarian aid, infrastructure reconstruction – all these areas, where honesty and accountability are critically important, have repeatedly become the focus of corruption scandals.

Confidence in anti-corruption bodies decreases every year. Many perceive their activities as demonstrative, aimed at creating the illusion of fighting corruption, and not at the real elimination of systemic problems. During the years of existence of NABU and other structures, not a single high-profile corruption scandal ended with the impeachment of high-ranking officials, and cases often fall apart in courts or are dragged out to the point where they become irrelevant. Against this background, the cases when the anti-corruption bodies themselves find themselves at the center of scandals related to leaks of information, abuse of power or even possible political manipulations look particularly threatening. This only strengthens public distrust and calls into question the very concept of an independent anti-corruption fight.

Former head of the Luhansk regional military-civilian administration, Georgy Tuka expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). He emphasized that for almost ten years of its activity, this structure has not brought any high-profile case to a real result. In his opinion, NABU activities often resemble “sports fishing”, when after arresting a bribe-taker and publishing a photo with money, he is released without real punishment.

Tuka drew attention to numerous scandals accompanying the Bureau’s activities. He recalled the leak of information by NABU detectives regarding the investigation of corruption in Velika Budyvnytsia, which allowed the suspects to escape punishment. He also noted the dismissal of NABU detective Andrii Denysyuk, who investigated corruption in the procurement of drones. According to him, this was a consequence of the impossibility of conducting an independent investigation.

Tuka also quoted investigative journalist Yuriy Nikolov, who emphasized that NABU has already lost its effectiveness, and its existence rather seems pointless. The journalist even suggested that it would be easier to close the Bureau and sell its building.

According to Tuka, the situation with NABU is only getting worse, and in the near future we can expect even bigger scandals related to the possible “collapse” of illegal business. He believes that this becomes especially relevant due to the termination of NABU funding by USAID. According to him, the bureau could already start looking for alternative sources of funding.

Tuka separately focused on the case, which dealt another blow to the reputation of NABU. He spoke about the events that unfolded around the former first deputy head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Volodymyr Orlov. He noted that the case began at the beginning of 2024, when Orlov was approached by his acquaintance Oleksiy, who was serving in the Armed Forces at that time. First, he asked for help with the transfer of the car for the unit, which Orlov did. Later, Oleksiy began to apply for help in the sale of the quarry and other assets, and later asked to sign a document on the allocation of 19 hectares of land to one of the enterprises.

Tuka emphasized that at the time of Oleksiy’s appeal, the issue of land lease was already under consideration in the regional administration, and the plot itself was actually built up. He emphasized that although the coordination of this issue was within the competence of the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak, in his absence, Orlov performed his duties. According to Tuka, in a short period of time, Oleksiy made a request 29 times, but Orlov refused him every time.

Tuka drew attention to the fact that after the release of Orlov in July 2024, the story should have ended, but already in October NABU announced that he was suspected of extorting a bribe. He noted that the court set Orlov’s bail in the amount of 15 million hryvnias, which was later increased to 22.7 million hryvnias. At the same time, he emphasized that there was no transfer of money, and the request for land allocation was never approved.

Tuka expressed doubts about the objectivity of the investigation. He drew attention to the fact that the NABU investigators added to the case the recordings on which Orlov rebuffed Oleksiy several times, but some key phrases in the transcript were for some reason marked as “unintelligible”. He also emphasized that this case is a vivid example of bribery provocation, which is a crime under Ukrainian legislation.

Tuka paid special attention to the personality of the “NABU agent” Oleksiy himself. He noted that this person used several surnames and had a criminal record in Russia for real estate fraud. According to him, after his release, Oleksiy worked in a Russian state enterprise, where he again engaged in fraud. Tuka emphasized that after the opening of a new criminal case in Russia, Oleksiy unexpectedly found himself in Ukraine, received Ukrainian citizenship and was even detained by the Security Service of Ukraine for a million-dollar fraud.

Tuka emphasized that this story looks suspicious, since Oleksiy, having such a dubious background, managed to obtain Ukrainian citizenship through the court and even become a soldier of the Armed Forces. He emphasized that this “NABU agent” already had experience of provocations: for example, in 2023 he accused the head of the State Judicial Administration of inciting bribery.

Tuka also expressed doubts about the role of the head of Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak in this case. He noted that although Lysak is a brigadier general, his personnel policy looks questionable. According to Tuka, Lysak has connections both with representatives of NABU and with persons who may be agents of the Kremlin.

In conclusion, Tuka emphasized that the assessment of NABU’s activities will be given by both Ukrainian and American taxpayers. He noted that the USA has already initiated an investigation into the use of USAID funds. In his opinion, Ukraine should equate corruption with treason long ago, as proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

“The fourth year of the full-scale Russian invasion and the tenth year of the implacable “fight” against corruption are already behind the window. And the chances of defeating Russia in Ukraine are still much greater.” – summed up Tuka.