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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is called on to initiate dismissal of еру National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Director Artem Sytnyk. The relevant petition was registered on the president's website late on December 10.

It states the society is weary of the fact that NABU is engaged in own promotion, not an actual fight against corruption, being mired in numerous rows and accusations of low efficiency and political motivation, while a number of serious charges of criminal offenses have been brought against NABU Director Artem Sytnyk, according to the Obozrevatel media outlet.

The report says that, for example, Sytnyk is being accused of selling a land plot in the occupied city of Sevastopol under Russian law for US$40,000, which has not been reflected in the asset declaration of the NABU director (the State Bureau of Investigation opened criminal proceedings on these facts). Sytnyk was also recognized as corrupt official by a court ruling, and his name was filed in the official register of corrupt officials of the NACP [National Agency on Corruption Prevention]. In addition, according to media reports, the investigation proved the facts of Sytnyk's influence on decision-making by economic courts in the interests of his family and friends. Investigators also concluded that, while being a lawyer, he prepared draft court decisions, which were later announced verbatim at court hearings. He also prepared and sent by e-mail drafts procedural paperwork of investigators and prosecutors, which the latter subsequently signed, according to the report.

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The petition says Sytnyk has destroyed a huge credit of trust the public gave to anti-corruption bodies of Ukraine, while nepotism and esprit de corps are flourishing at NABU. According to the petition, the president is called on to initiate the dismissal of NABU Director Sytnyk from his post in accordance with the existing norms of Ukrainian legislation.

As reported earlier, in November this year, another petition for the dismissal of Artem Sytnyk from the post of NABU director received 27,000 votes against the required 25,000. However, for the reason unknown, only half of the votes have been taken into account, so the petition was rejected by the President's Office without explanation. In addition, the media found out the votes already counted for the petition were simply "cut off" the next day.