The Verkhovna Rada supported a draft law that would allow those suspected of corruption to redeem themselves from punishment
The new document provides that offenders will have to pay a fine.
In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada supported draft law No. 11340, which allows officials suspected of corruption crimes to enter into agreements with the investigation and pay a fine for the offense committed. People’s deputies informed about it Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Oleksiy Honcharenko.
The draft law received the support of 231 deputies, although its adoption caused reservations from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) and the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Verkhovna Rada.
According to the provisions of the draft law, officials suspected of corruption will be able to pay a fine in the following amounts:
- In the event of a criminal misdemeanor — from UAH 204,000 to UAH 2.05 million.
- In the case of committing a minor crime — from 2.05 million to 20.4 million UAH.
- In case of committing a serious crime — from 20.4 million to 102 million UAH.
- In the case of a particularly serious crime — from UAH 102 million to UAH 204 million.
Activists and public figures are critical of this draft law, arguing that it will allow corruption suspects to simply atone for their crimes. Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Center, noted that the draft law does not even provide for the confiscation of the suspect’s property, which would allow the corrupt to keep their illegal profits.
“Stolen a billion, took another 100 million, compensated them, paid another 200 million fine and live and enjoy the “earned” 700 million”, – writes Shabunin. In his opinion, with the help of this law, it will be possible to “save” famous businessmen, such as Ihor Kolomoiskyi and Oleg Bakhmatyuk, from prison.
Shabunin also notes that due to the number of corruption suspicions currently brought to the people’s deputies, a rebellion is already brewing in the Rada. He believes that the opportunity to redeem himself from the punishment is the only option for maintaining the control of the Office of the President (OP) over the situation.
If the draft law is finally adopted, it may have serious consequences for the fight against corruption in Ukraine. Opponents of the bill fear it will set a precedent where corrupt officials can avoid real punishment, undermining efforts to establish the rule of law and justice in the country.
