Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said the situation involving the National Agency of Corruption Prevention (NACP) can be salvaged only by reshuffling the staff or adoption of a new law regulating the agency.

"Unfortunately, the situation is festering. Even the first wave of declarations for 2015 has not been checked. Government officials, whose e-declarations should have been checked in May, should have had their declarations checked in May… More than 100,000 e-declarations for 2015 and about 1 million declarations for 2016 … this can not continue," Petrenko told journalists on Tuesday.

"We have announced our position: either NACP officials must resign and allow a new competition to take place for appointing individuals who will fulfill their responsibilities or parliament will adopt a law to reboot the agency," Petrenko said, adding that the resignation of NACP board member Ruslan Riaboshapko is "a good sign and a civilized step."

"I count on the integrity of the individuals who are there [on the NACP board]. The government position is to adopt a new [NACP] law, maybe during the next week of plenary sessions," Petrenko said.

As earlier reported, on April 11 the government proposed a bill, titled "On introducing changes to the law on preventing corruption" (regarding the improvement of procedures for the working of NACP – No. 6335)."

Petrenko earlier said if the bill was adopted NACP would remain an independent agency and NACP leaders would be personally responsible for the agency's work. The bill also introduced a mechanism to conduct independent audits of NACP work. The minister said then that consultation for drafting the bill took place in consultation with civil society activists.