Oleksandr Klymenko to Become New Head of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office

Following a long period of political maneuvering and prevarication, one of Ukraine’s most sensitive positions has been filled, with Oleksandr Klymenko now being appointed as the new head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP).

In a video address on Sunday, July 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the competition for the head of SAP should “finally end successfully”, and that the new head of SAP would officially be appointed.

On July 19, the competition commission for the election of the SAP head finally approved the results, with Oleksandr Klymenko, the detective of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, scoring the most points.

The election in fact took place on December 21, 2021, however the commission delayed the approval of the results due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, only announcing today that NABU detective Klymenko, who had received 246 points, would have his candidacy approved.

The approval of the competition results for the SAP head took place against the background of reshuffles in law-enforcement agencies, with the president proposing that Parliament dismiss SBU head Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova.

Klymenko graduated from The Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and received a law degree. In March 2010, he started working in internal affairs organizations in Kyiv, first as an investigator and then as a senior investigator.

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In 2015, Klymenko worked for the National Police as a senior investigator. In particular, he investigated cases related to the theft of property.

In March 2016, Klymenko applied to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and became a detective. A year later, he became a senior detective, and in November 2017, he became head of the department. During this period, he investigated the cases of ex-deputy Oleksandr Onyshchenko and the current deputy head of the president office, Oleg Tatarov, who is currently responsible for Ukraine’s law-enforcement agencies.