President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Ukrainians to report corrupt officials to the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). He posted a video address with this message in Telegram.
"We will never be able to overcome corruption if you turn a blind eye to it. They are demanding a bribe from you? Offering a kickback? Please, do not keep silent. Call the NABU hotline at 0 800 503 200," the president said.
He called on Ukrainians to respect law. "We, as the authorities, will work honestly but we need you to make a step towards us too. We will not be able to revive economy unless people pay taxes. This concerns everyone, from oligarchs to taxi drivers," he said.
The NABU Public Supervision Board, in turn, urged the president not to spread misinformation about the Bureau’s authority.
"On 23 September, a video address was posted on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Facebook page to contact the NABU hotline about any forms of corruption. The NABU Public Supervision Board notes: the NABU does not investigate all corruption crimes. Bureau detectives deal with criminal corruption offences committed by senior officials who are authorized to perform state or local government functions and constitute a threat to national security," the Board said in a statement.
The Council emphasized that due to the misinformation about the Bureau's authority, the NABU's hotline will be overloaded with calls about violations that are not under the jurisdiction of this institution.
"These actions of the head of state can destabilize the work of the Bureau and cause a flurry of negative public sentiments due to the fact that most citizens are not experts in the Criminal Procedural Code and fully trust the president’s words. Consequently, citizens will demand an investigation into the cases that are not under its jurisdiction," the statement reads.
On 20 September, Zelenskyy signed a decree on urgent measures to ensure economic growth and prevent corruption.