MPs propose to abolish statute of limitations for corruption crimes during war
A group of MPs proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to abolish the statute of limitations for corruption crimes during the war.
Corresponding bill No. 100 was registered in Parliament on Friday.
As noted in the explanatory note, the document provides for the abolition of the statute of limitations for grave and especially grave corruption crimes committed during martial law and the suspension of their statute of limitations in order to ensure the operation of the principle of inevitability of punishment.
In addition, the bill also eliminates a number of other shortcomings of criminal procedural legislation. In particular, the established deadlines for pretrial investigation before notification of suspicion are eliminated and the procedure for extending the period of pretrial investigation after notification of suspicion is changed. At the same time, the number of defenders of a person at the stage of pretrial investigation is limited, and the possibility of holding a court session is also determined if there is at least one defender.
At the same time, according to the initiator of the bill, head of the faction of the Servant of the People David Arakhamia, this document cancels the so-called "Lozovy edits" adopted by the last convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, thanks to which corrupt officials continue to avoid punishment even now.
"All this is due to the fact that the current law sets the deadlines that law enforcement officers must meet when investigating a case before reporting suspicion. The courts then simply close the proceedings, referring to the end of such terms. If someone dreamed of using it, they will be disappointed and imprisoned," the parliamentarian explained.
The co-authors of the legislative initiative were also members of the factions Servant of the People and Holos, in particular, Oleksandra Ustinova, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Yevhenia Kravchuk, Olena Shuliak, Yaroslav Yurchishyn and Anastasia Radina.