Ukraine’s other war

By Artem Sytnyk

An embattled country takes the fight to corruption.

My frustration with Ukraine’s post-Soviet system reached boiling point in 2011. After years of struggling to faithfully carry out my duties as prosecutorial investigator, I decided that I was absolutely done with Yanukovych-era ways. I could no longer take the criminality of law enforcement bodies, the immunity of members of the then-ruling Party of Regions, the overwhelming corruption — so I left.
Now I feel truly hopeful that Ukrainians can finally defeat the endemic graft which has held us back for so long. My compatriots still feel doubtful though, and I understand them. If it wasn’t for my own experience of taking part in the hiring process for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, I would have similar thoughts. But in round after round of interviews, I saw striking openness and fairness in recruitment. The whole country could witness the same online.

Decades of dishonesty and fraud have broken the nation’s faith in state authorities. And if society can’t trust its government to fulfill the responsibilities for which it exists, everything else loses its meaning. I believe the only way to break this cycle is for the government itself to become a world leader in transparency and accountability.
The government has already implemented many anti-corruption initiatives — they considerably minimize the room for graft, and hence, improve work conditions for my Bureau. In the legal sector, judges are now selected and transferred only through open procedures. Ukrainian law now guarantees that any citizen has the right to attend a court session, videotape it, or take photographs. All relevant information regarding proceedings can be freely disclosed. Any journalist, civic activist, or citizen can now access data about a trial’s status, as well as details on hearings and court decisions.

Graft is so deeply rooted in the minds of Ukrainian politicians that, despite any brilliant anti-corruption legislation, some officials will be tempted to try to maintain “business as usual.”

There are signs of progress in other areas as well.
Public service positions, especially the highest ones, will be filled openly and admission committees will include representatives of civil society. Officials are now obliged to submit property declarations in electronic format, which are made available to the public. The government has implemented an e-procurement system to break corrupt schemes. State enterprises must publish their financial reports while political parties will regularly disclose their expenditures. The list of anti-graft measures goes on.
These crucial steps will greatly help the Anti-Corruption Bureau do its work. A solid base is being built and will give the people of Ukraine a full arsenal of weapons to fight graft. The vision is for ordinary citizens to be at the heart of the Bureau’s work, safe in the knowledge that any corruption they witness will be fully investigated. I find this vision comforting, as my team needs as many allies as it can get!
Graft is so deeply rooted in the minds of Ukrainian politicians that, despite any brilliant anti-corruption legislation, some officials will be tempted to try to maintain “business as usual.” I have bad news for them: I will show zero tolerance for corruption and I am committed to delivering results without any fear or favor of the political personalities in question. My goal is not only to hold public servants accountable, but above all, to restore trust in the system.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau is at the early stage of organizing its team. The people of Ukraine are eagerly waiting for the day we will be fully up and running. We need time to do it right. We are conducting a thorough personnel recruitment process. My team will ultimately number 700 people. Employees will belong to either the department of detectives or the department of analysts. Our main priority will be to bring corrupt senior officials — both current and those who were in power during the Yanukovych era — to justice.
Ukrainian law gives the National Anti-Corruption Bureau significant power and freedom to do its work. We will draw extensively on the successful Georgian experience. I feel honored to have people like Guizot Uglava, who achieved outstanding results as Deputy Prosecutor of Georgia, on my team. What is more, we are fortunate to have the support of the FBI and EU police forces.
The Bureau was initially created in close cooperation with experts and NGOs, and we intend to maintain this productive collaboration. Furthermore, we welcome journalists, civic activists and ordinary citizens to join our work in any way they can. I believe that together we can rid our state of the cancer of corruption.