Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine are allegedly hampered in their work by the so-called "Lozovyi amendments" that set deadlines for pre-trial investigations. However, in the practice of anti-corruption activists, there are cases that they have been investigating for almost ten years, and all this time the suspects have to live with significant restrictions, UNN writes .
Foreign experts who audited the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine for 2021-2023 pointed out the need to abolish the so-called Lozovyi amendments, as they allegedly only hinder detectives.
Several criminal offenses under the NABU's jurisdiction are classified as having a statute of limitations of less than 5 years, which undermines the effectiveness of corruption prosecution, especially in cases of false asset declarations,
However, this idea raises many questions. After all, detectives have long been "famous" for high-profile exposés of high-ranking officials, but sometimes it takes them ten years to prove their "exposure.
One of the recent "high-profile" cases that NABU has been investigating for five years is the case against the former Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solsky. The reasonable timeframe for the pre-trial investigation has long since expired, so detectives are now forced to extend it through the courts.
According to the investigation, Solsky allegedly took possession of land plots in Sumy region that allegedly belonged to the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. However, as it turned out later, neither he, nor his family or affiliates have such land. However, ATO participants, who were granted the right to privatize them, do. The NABU refused to specify what exactly Solskyi took possession of . Moreover, the detectives tried to "leak" the examinationthat they themselves had ordered and which, apparently, was supposed to testify to the innocence of the former minister. However, the public accusations had their effect - Solsky resigned from his post as minister.
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The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is "known" for its ability to loudly announce the exposure of another scheme and serve a suspicion on a top official. However, these cases often fall apart in courts or do not even reach the end of the line.
A good example is the criminal proceedings against former Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan. Both cases collapsed in the courts. However, the NABU did not officially apologize to the former minister for illegal criminal prosecution and damage to his business reputation.