The Temporary Investigation Commission has cast doubt on NABU’s internal controls: not a single allegation against its staff in three years

This is stated in the report by the Temporary Special Commission (TSK) on the investigation of possible instances of corruption or corruption-related offences within law enforcement agencies, courts and the judiciary, which is attached to draft resolution No. 15337 on the Verkhovna Rada’s website.

What exactly did the TSK state?

According to the TSK, between 2022 and 2025, six criminal proceedings were registered concerning possible corruption or corruption-related offences by NABU staff. Among these, as stated in the report, were proceedings under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the receipt of an unlawful benefit by a public official.

However, the commission concluded that during this period, no NABU staff member was notified of being under suspicion in these cases. Furthermore, no indictment was sent to court, and there have been no convictions. This excerpt from the report was also cited by the Ukrainian media, referring to the TSK document.

Why this matters

As NABU specifically investigates high-level corruption, the issue of accountability among its own staff is particularly sensitive. If a law enforcement agency is tasked with exposing corruption in other state bodies, it is to be expected that higher standards are set for its internal controls.

The authors of the TSK report believe that such statistics may indicate a lack of tangible results from internal controls and a lack of transparency within the system regarding the accountability of its own staff.

What NABU’s internal control should do

The NABU’s official website states that the Internal Control Department is responsible for preventing offences committed by the Bureau’s staff, monitoring compliance with rules on ethical conduct, conflicts of interest and asset declarations, conducting integrity checks and monitoring staff members’ lifestyles.

This department is also responsible for verifying information regarding the possible involvement of NABU staff in offences, conducting internal investigations and carrying out pre-trial investigations into criminal offences committed by Bureau staff.

What the international audit said about this

Similar issues had previously been identified by an international audit of NABU. The 2025 external independent assessment report stated that NABU was generally rated as ‘moderately effective’, whilst its work on investigating high-level corruption was rated as ‘substantially effective’. At the same time, the integrity, accountability and transparency function was rated as ‘moderately effective’.

The auditors drew particular attention to the Internal Control Department. The report noted that, during the assessment period, internal investigations had not resulted in a single notice of suspicion, indictment or conviction against NABU staff. Furthermore, the auditors pointed out that, in the entire 10-year history of this unit, it had not received a single indictment or conviction concerning a Bureau employee.

What about information leaks?

The audit identified information leaks as a separate issue. The report states that leaks have been a chronic problem not only for NABU but also for other Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and the public prosecutor’s office. The auditors emphasised that effective mechanisms for preventing and detecting such leaks must remain one of the Bureau’s top priorities.

The report also states that NABU has not conducted any successful criminal investigations into its own staff in cases involving leaks of information from pre-trial investigations, even though the auditors identified precisely such leaks as one of the greatest reputational risks for the Bureau.

An important clarification

This does not refer to corruption by NABU staff that has been established in court, but to criminal proceedings concerning possible corruption or corruption-related offences. In other words, the correct terminology is ‘possible offences’, ‘proceedings’ and ‘according to the TSK’, rather than assertions of proven guilt.

Furthermore, the TSK’s report does not yet constitute a final decision by the Verkhovna Rada. Draft resolution No. 15337 was registered on 17 June 2026 and, according to the details on the parliament’s website, is currently being considered by a committee.

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