The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft law intended to regulate conflicts of interest and the application of anti-corruption restrictions during military service.
The document was drafted by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the ministry said.
"The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the draft Law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to the Internal Service Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on defining the specific features of applying anti-corruption restrictions and regulating conflicts of interest in the context of military service’,” the statement said.
Once the relevant amendments to the Internal Service Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are adopted, service personnel will have clearly defined rules of action in the event of a conflict of interest, including one related to carrying out an order.
If a service member identifies a real or potential conflict of interest in connection with an order received, they must inform their immediate commander no later than the next working day from the moment they became aware, or should have become aware, of the conflict.
After receiving such a report, the commander who issued the order will be obliged to take measures to resolve the conflict of interest.
If the matter concerns an order from a senior commander, the report from the subordinate must be passed via the immediate commander to the senior commander for further resolution.
For service personnel whose posts do not provide for a direct supervisor, the draft law предусматривает the option of reporting to the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) or another body designated by law. If the conflict arises within a collegial body, it must be reported to that body or to the NACP.
"The draft law also закрепляет the duty of commanders to ensure that subordinates comply with the rules for preventing and resolving conflicts of interest, and of all service personnel not to commit corruption-related offences and to take measures to resolve conflicts of interest in accordance with the Law ‘On Prevention of Corruption’,” the Ministry of Defence added.
At the same time, all service personnel must refrain from committing corruption-related offences and take the measures предусмотренные by law to resolve conflicts of interest.
Separately, the document defines a list of military officials to whom restrictions on the use of official position, receiving gifts, secondary employment and the joint work of close relatives will apply.
The same anti-corruption restrictions are proposed for the heads and members of military medical and medical and social expert commissions.
The draft law is intended to regulate the application of general anti-corruption legislation, taking into account the specific features of military service.