The United States considers it extremely important to adopt amendments to the law on the High Anti-Corruption Court, urging Ukrainian officials to make them as soon as possible.
Amending this law, according to which the court will be able to consider cases that fall within its jurisdiction (including appeals in existing cases of corruption) will help overcome the corruption threats that exist in Ukraine, that's according to Director of the Office of Eastern European Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Jorgan Andrews, RFE/RL's Ukrainian service reports.
However, according to Andrews, the U.S. does not seek to be a party to negotiations on the issue, insistently pointing at the need for direct negotiations between the Ukrainian government and International Monetary Fund.
Answering the journalist's question on what consequences the situation will have if parliament fails to pass such amendments, Andrews said that it is precisely through efforts in fighting corruption that the U.S. can assess Ukraine's reform progress.
Read alsoPoroshenko signs law on establishing High Anti-Corruption Court
Andrews also noted that part of the reforms required was tackling the influence of oligarchs which had been one of the reasons for reform delay.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 26 signed the Law of Ukraine "On the establishment of the High Anti-Corruption Court."
According to the document, the HACC location, territorial jurisdiction, and status are determined by the law "On the High Anti-Corruption Court."
Read alsoDangerous "loophole" revealed in Ukraine's new law on Anti-Corruption Court - NGO
However, after the publication of the text of the law, the Anti-Corruption Action Centre found a dangerous loophole in it. In particular, appeals regarding the cases of the NABU, which are now under consideration in the courts, will take place in the courts of general jurisdiction, and not in the established Anti-Corruption Court.
