Ukrainian president dismisses prosecutor general

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially dismissed Andriy Kostin from his position as Prosecutor General.

This decision is documented in a decree signed by the president, confirming Kostin's removal from office, Caliber.Az reports citing Ukrainian media.

On October 28, President Zelenskyy submitted a request to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, seeking Kostin's dismissal. The following day, the parliament approved the request, leading to Kostin's exit.

Andriy Kostin, who was elected as a member of parliament in 2019 from the "Servant of the People" party, served as a non-partisan representative. He held significant roles within the legislature, including deputy chairman and later head of the Legal Policy Committee.

Kostin had been in charge of the Office of the Prosecutor General since late July 2022, succeeding Iryna Venediktova.

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, tendered his resignation on October 22, in the wake of a corruption scandal that has rocked the judicial system. Dozens of prosecutors have allegedly obtained fake disability certificates guaranteeing them additional income from the state and possibly enabling them to avoid conscription. These revelations stem from the arrest of a civil servant in early October for illegal enrichment.

A crucial question is whether Kostin's resignation will solve the problem of fake disability documents and corruption at the prosecutor's office in general and whether his replacement will be any better.

Some anti-corruption activists see him as a scapegoat blamed for the scandal.

By Vafa Guliyeva