Kryvonos demands NABU be allowed to hold citizens in pretrial detention for years if detectives cannot keep up – media

The NABU seeks to expand its own powers and jurisdiction, demanding changes to legislation. Among the most notable innovations are the maximum increase in pre-trial investigation terms, searches without witnesses, and online monitoring of bank accounts. This was reported by the Judicial-Legal Newspaper, commenting on the relevant draft law.

The publication analyzed a comparative table for the draft law, signed by NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

"The National Anti-Corruption Bureau proposes to amend two codes and three laws of Ukraine. Among the main innovations proposed by the NABU are an increase in pre-trial investigation terms, procedural actions without witnesses, online monitoring of bank accounts, and the ability to independently investigate crimes committed by People's Deputies, the Head of the SBU, directors of the SBI and BES, and other top officials," the publication wrote.

According to the authors of the article, an analysis of the document indicates the Bureau's desire not only to expand its own powers and jurisdiction but also to effectively fundamentally change approaches to the criminal process.

"All these proposals are justified by mythical risks to their work, which will allegedly occur if the Criminal Procedure Code is not urgently rewritten—a code that is apparently 'guilty' of violating reasonable investigation timeframes and the fact that suspects spend years in pre-trial detention centers," they noted.

The publication emphasizes that the Bureau proposes to register criminal proceedings against parliamentarians without the participation of the Prosecutor General.

They also reported that the Bureau proposes to abolish restrictions on the duration of pre-trial investigations until a person is served with a notice of suspicion in so-called "fact-based" cases.

"They propose to introduce a mechanism for extending the pre-trial investigation period exclusively by prosecutors, who will be able to extend them up to 6 and 12 months, rather than by an investigating judge. Judicial control over the extension of pre-trial investigation terms is, in the NABU's opinion, inappropriate," the publication stated.

In addition, it commented, the document provides for the introduction of the concept of "information search"—the right of operatives and confidential employees to collect data on crimes even before the case is officially entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (ERDR) through covert communication without disclosing their affiliation with the authorities. Simultaneously, the granting of access to state secrets for undercover staff members (undercover agents) is being simplified, the Judicial-Legal Newspaper wrote.

Among other proposals of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the journalists informed, is the abolition of the mandatory participation of witnesses during searches of a home or person if continuous video recording of the investigative action is applied.

Another innovation from the NABU, they noted, could be real-time account monitoring.

"The procedure for such monitoring will receive the status of ordinary public investigative actions. By court order, banks will be obliged to provide the NABU and BES with information on the movement of funds before a transaction is executed or immediately after it in online mode," the publication warned.