The fight against corruption in Ukraine is showing tangible results. The country’s top corrupt officials are not only being investigated, but also facing punishment. This is all thanks to the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC), which was established in September 2019 to break the cycle of impunity in Ukraine, where corrupt judges protected corrupt officials.
Since its inception, the HACC has achieved a conviction rate of 89%, with the number of cases being considered increasing each year. This means that high-level corrupt officials are finally being held accountable and facing consequences, instead of finding ways to evade justice.
The creation of the HACC was a crucial step in Ukraine’s broader anti-corruption efforts, following the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. Two new institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), were established to independently investigate offenses such as bribery, abuse of power, and illicit enrichment by public officials. These bodies were designed to operate separately from the existing prosecutor’s office and bring charges to the courts.
However, prior to the establishment of the HACC, very few top corrupt officials were actually punished. Corruption cases were often too sensitive or politically charged to be dealt with impartially by regular, corrupt courts. Despite numerous investigations being completed, the number of verdicts was extremely low. This all changed in 2019 when the HACC began its work.
The creation of a separate court for corruption cases was necessary to oversee ordinary courts and arrest corrupt judges who were susceptible to bribery. This has been effective, as judges from ordinary courts have become frequent visitors to the HACC, often leaving in handcuffs. Members of Parliament have also been convicted, along with at least one former minister, and more cases against former ministers and deputy ministers are currently underway.
In addition to the HACC, a series of transparency reforms have also been implemented in Ukraine. This includes the creation of open online auctions for state procurement through the Prozorro system, as well as the public declaration of all officials’ property. These measures have significantly complicated corruption schemes.
While it is impossible to completely eradicate corruption in any country, the first five years of the HACC’s work, along with the efforts of NABU and SAP, have brought a much-needed sense of justice to Ukraine. As of now, 247 officials have been found guilty in 186 verdicts, according to Roman Verbovskyi, a lawyer from Ukraine’s non-government Anti-Corruption Action Center. However, there is still room for improvement, such as implementing legislative changes and selecting more judges to speed up the court’s work. Overall, the HACC has been a crucial step towards fighting corruption in Ukraine and restoring trust in the country’s justice system.
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