In the conditions of war, the legal system of Ukraine is faced with numerous problems that require immediate solutions. A well-known Odesa lawyer, Artem Grushanskyi, told ElitExpert about the main problems and necessary reforms to overcome them.
"I believe that we need to reform the entire system, starting from the administration on the street. Banking and ending with the lowest levels — and you have to start with corruption," Grushansky said.
He emphasizes that corruption in Ukraine has reached its peak and causes serious concern both inside the country and outside its borders: "It is not for nothing that Western publications now openly write that the highest level of corruption is observed in the entire history of Ukraine under the current government."
He adds that corruption poses a greater threat than is publicly acknowledged and emphasizes that it could undermine Western support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression:
"International circles say that Ukraine will not be able to join NATO and the European Union until the issue of corruption is resolved. They also understand that "buying" eggs by the kilogram is somehow wrong. And how many millions of monetary aid from Western partners were stolen?".
Artem Hrushansky also shared his vision on how to effectively fight corruption in Ukraine.
"In Europe, everything is arranged in such a way that it is simply impossible to spend illegally earned money. There are no such structures as NABU or the Bureau of Economic Security — everything is much simpler, he explains. "In Europe, if you are a citizen of the European Union, you cannot buy an expensive item with cash, only with a card, and the banking system immediately sees the movement of funds on the card and can ask about their origin."
Hrushansky is sure that the introduction of similar norms in Ukraine will significantly complicate the life of corrupt officials.
"It is necessary to introduce a norm under which it would not be possible to buy anything above a certain amount for cash, only by non-cash payment. People who receive bribes in the millions simply will not be able to spend them. Of course, there will always be workarounds, but it will make their lives much more difficult," he concludes.
