The first external audit of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in ten years was published in May 2025. An independent commission of international experts identified a number of deep structural problems in the work of an agency that should be a model of transparency and accountability.
The report by the auditors, which included Robert Westbrooks (USA), Martin Arpo (Estonia), and Hermione Teresa Cronje (South Africa), records both failures in internal control and signs of excessive influence by NABU leadership on the investigation, in particular, using the example of the case of former First Deputy Director Gizo Uglava.
Without convictions and with a conflict of interest
The Internal Control Department (ICD) of NABU has not brought a single case involving leaks of information within the bureau to a verdict. The auditors note that the structure simultaneously performs preventive and investigative functions, which creates a direct conflict of interest. In addition, the decision to initiate or terminate an internal investigation is made personally by NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.
In 2023–2024, separate internal proceedings were opened, but none of them even ended with the announcement of suspicion. It is significant that Kryvonos avoids any specific comments on cases that have caused public resonance, instead publicly accusing lawyers, courts, police, SBU — everyone except subordinate detectives.
The NABUgate scandal and lawyers with a past
The focus is on Kyiv lawyers led by Dmytro Borzykh, whom NABU considers to be the “most influential” and “dangerous” opponents. This is the so-called “NABUgate” case, when NABU detectives established illegal wiretapping in the office of these lawyers, including in a meeting room.
The lawyers, most of whom previously worked for the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office, deny all charges, claiming that NABU's actions are a violation of attorney-client privilege. The State Bureau of Investigation has already opened criminal proceedings against NABU detectives.
Silence in the Uglava case
The report pays special attention to the case of former NABU Deputy Director Gizo Uglava, who was accused of leaking information about the preparation of searches in cases with billions of dollars in losses. Despite the loud outcry, Uglava was released without suspicion. The investigation is not completed, and the NABU leadership is publicly ignoring this topic.
Journalists have documented Uglava's appearances in closed Kyiv clubs, where he is under guard and in the company of criminal elements. He had full access to NABU's strategic investigations, and the extent of possible leaks is unknown.
Formal accountability and KPIs on paper
Auditors point out that internal control does not actually check the lifestyle of the bureau's employees. For example, in 2023, only 6 inspections were conducted, in 2024 - 10, and only three of them ended in official investigations. The NABU's silence regarding the detectives' crypto wallets, in which millions of dollars were found, is also indicative. Kryvonos did not give any reaction.
The report quotes a former NABU employee:
“You’d better complain less to internal control,” is a quote from Chapter 37 of the audit.
Bottom line: NABU is “moderately effective,” but it’s almost a failure
The independent assessment gave NABU a formal rating of “moderately effective,” which barely exceeds the minimum score, which avoids the question of Director Kryvonos’s incompetence. However, the factual conclusion is the same: the bureau needs a radical reform of internal oversight, transparency, and real accountability.
