Ukraine has taken a step towards improving the fight against corruption by passing a law that allows for reduced prison terms for corrupt officials who cooperate with the investigation.
People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported on the adoption of the law "On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on Improving the Regulation of Plea Agreements in Criminal Proceedings Regarding Corruption Criminal Offenses and Criminal Offenses Related to Corruption" (registration number 12039) . The draft law, which was voted for by 263 deputies, was supported by the SAP, NABU and international partners of Ukraine.
Zheleznyak noted that the new law allows to reduce the prison term for those who cooperate with the investigation, exposing accomplices and compensating for damages. For example, instead of 8 years, a corrupt person can receive 5. In cases of minor crimes, if the person involved pays compensation and a fine, an additional punishment in the form of confiscation is possible.
In addition to a reduced prison term, the court can impose significant fines on corrupt officials:
- For minor crimes : from 340,000 to 2 million hryvnias.
- For serious crimes : from 2 million to 6 million hryvnias.
- For particularly serious crimes : from 6 to 12 million hryvnias.
These amounts take into account both the severity of the crime and the ability of the offenders to compensate for the damage caused.
The law also provides for the confiscation of the property of the person involved by agreement, and for the organizers of the schemes, a reduction of the prison term is possible only with the cooperation and exposure of other co-organizers.
As Zheleznyak noted, the adoption of this law is an important condition for Ukraine to receive 4 billion euros under the Ukraine Facility Plan. The law must be signed by October 31 so that Ukraine can count on support under this plan.
