London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

West can help Ukraine crack down on graft, anti-corruption prosecutor says

West can help Ukraine crack down on graft, anti-corruption prosecutor says

Western allies can help Kyiv with its mounting crackdown on graft by extraditing more people who are under investigation, Ukraine's top anti-corruption prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Fighting sleaze is a priority for Kyiv as it seeks membership of the European Union and tries to strengthen state institutions following Russia's invasion last year.

Oleksandr Klymenko, director of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, told Reuters that most countries Kyiv has asked to extradite suspects in corruption cases have declined to do so.

"In 90% of our cases, we have one or two or three or more subjects who are abroad, and the procedure for handing these people over to Ukraine is complicated," he said during an interview in his Kyiv office.

Countries where suspects have been located included Austria, Spain and Britain, he said.

Easing extradition, Klymenko said, was "extremely relevant" to Ukraine's efforts to root out corruption, which the European Commission, the EU executive, has singled out as a precondition for membership talks to begin.

"The investigation of a criminal case is quite ineffective when we can't return these people to Ukraine from various jurisdictions for the administration of due justice," he said.

Klymenko said countries typically cite security concerns amid Russia's war and the conditions of detention in Ukraine, but that Kyiv always guaranteed the safe custody of suspects under investigation.


SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION


In his role, to which he was appointed in July 2022, Klymenko must remain free from political influence - an important concern of Western governments and international donors who want to be sure foreign aid will not fall into the wrong hands.

Klymenko, 36, had previously worked as a detective for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, another state body fighting graft.

He said the priority for Kyiv's anti-corruption authorities was to root out the complex schemes and illicit networks that have made graft systemic in Ukraine.

The country ranked 116th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's most recent Corruption Perceptions Index, the result of weak state institutions that came under the control of well-connected people after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Authorities have ramped up their anti-corruption drive since Klymenko's appointment.

Last week, investigators said they had uncovered a plot involving a former head of the State Property Fund that they believe embezzled more than $13 million.

That followed the first indictments on March 15 in a case involving a sprawling scheme that allegedly led to Ukrainian electricity customers overpaying by more than $1 billion between 2016 and 2019.

Klymenko said such elaborate corrupt ploys would continue unless their high-ranking organisers were targeted and the mechanisms exposed.

"If there's no system - in which a subordinate answers to a higher-up, who then answers to the very top - then I think it would be a success not just for us, but for our country in general," he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×