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HOT ANTICORRUPTION NEWS / Issue #159
November 8, 2020
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Today's issue:
- Parliament fails to promptly act on the constitutional crisis;
- HACC closes cases on lying in asset declarations;
- Parliament sends judiciary reform law to the repeated second reading;
- Two years since the death of Kateryna Handziuk;
- recommended reading
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Parliament fails to promptly act on the constitutional crisis
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During the last week, Parliament did not make any effective steps towards solving the constitutional crisis caused by the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) of October 27. MPs registered a number of draft laws aimed at restoring e-declaration system and suggesting the ways to block the work of the CCU. None of them fully resolves the CCU issue but imitates a solution to pacify the general public.
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The CCU announced the draft decision on revoking land reform to be approved on November 9. Four CCU judges who voted against the decision on destroying anticorruption reform stated that they would temporarily stop attending the CCU hearings to disable quorum. This will prevent destroying land reform and other key reforms in the upcoming week or two, but this does not resolve the constitutional crisis. On November 6, MPs of OPzZH and Batkivshcyna attempted to fulfil vacant positions under Parliament's quota but did not get enough votes. However, on the beginning of December the Congress of Judges will appoint CCU judge under their quota and will definitely restore the quorum.
On November 7, the activists held protest demanding resignation of the CCU judges. This would be the most way to start the resolution of the crisis, but improbable given the position of the judges.
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HACC closes cases on lying in asset declarations
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On November 5, following the Constitutional Court's decision of 27 October, the HACC closed the case of the infamous mayor of Odessa Gennadiy Trukhanov on lying in asset declarations. The case concerned assets in the amount of 16 mln UAH. Last year another case of Trukhanov's illicit enrichment in the amount of 3 mln GBP was closed based on the relevant Constitutional Court's decision of 2019.
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Gradually, the HACC will close entire 17 cases on false information in asset declaration trialled by the court. NABU also informed that it is closing 130 ongoing investigations on falsehood in declarations.
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Parliament sends judiciary reform law to the repeated second reading
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On November 5, the Parliament sent the Presidential draft law No.3711 on judicial reform to the repeated first reading to include the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The draft law is aimed at the relaunch of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. Notably, the Venice Commission stressed the importance of resolving the issue of integrity of the members of the High Council of Justice.
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Two years since the death of Kateryna Handziuk
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On November 4, we commemorated the death of Kateryna Handiuk, civil activist from Kherson. She was attacked on July 31, 2018 with a liter of sulfuric acid, as a result of which she received almost 40% of body burns. Thanks to the efforts of her friends and colleagues and public attention, the case was investigated and perpetrators were convicted. We keep demanding a fair trial for all instigators of her murder and justice for Kateryna.
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