The Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Semen Kryvonos, stated that the investigation into the ‘Midas’ case was only made possible due to the protests that took place in July amid attempts to limit the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The Impact of July Protests on the Work of Anti-Corruption Agencies
During an interview, Semen Kryvonos emphasized that the disclosure of materials regarding the ‘Midas’ case would have been impossible if the parliament had not rejected legislative initiatives that could significantly undermine the independence of NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP). When asked whether Ukrainians would have learned about the details of the case had such legislative changes been adopted, Kryvonos replied:
“I believe this case would not exist. It would have definitely been destroyed.”
Legislative Initiatives and Public Reaction
On July 22, members of parliament supported bill No. 12414, which reportedly aimed to limit the independence of NABU and SAP. These changes sparked numerous protests across Ukraine and raised concerns among Western partners.
Following a wave of public outrage, the Verkhovna Rada adopted an alternative bill proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 31, both in principle and in its entirety. This bill aimed to strengthen the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, allowing these institutions to maintain their independence and ensure further investigations into high-profile cases such as ‘Midas’.