Ukraine’s parliament dismisses Prosecutor General Kravchenko after clash with anti-corruption agencies
Ukraine’s parliament voted overwhelmingly on Sept. 15 to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for his removal amid an escalating confrontation with the country’s independent anti-corruption agencies.
A total of 317 lawmakers voted to remove Kravchenko, with none voting against or abstaining.
Zelenskyy submitted the motion to parliament on Sept. 14 and suspended Kravchenko from his duties after the prosecutor general announced that he had signed a notice of suspicion against National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Director Semen Kryvonos.
Kryvonos said he had never formally received the notice and described Kravchenko’s announcement as a “Telegram suspicion.” NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have characterized the accusations as part of pressure on Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption institutions.
Kravchenko, who left Ukraine for Paris shortly before the vote, has accused NABU and SAPO of pressuring Zelenskyy and lawmakers to secure his dismissal and have the suspicions dropped.