The Verkhovna Rada supported Andriy Kostin’s appointment to the position of Prosecutor General

Today, the Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of the MP of “Sluha Narodu” Andriy Kostin as the Prosecutor General of Ukraine with 299 votes.

What is known about Andriy Kostin?

In 2010, Andriy Kostin was elected a member of the Odesa City Council from the “Front Zmin” party. In 2019, he became the MP of the Verkhovna Rada from “Sluha Narodu”.

Andriy Kostin was the Head of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, and therefore he was responsible for judicial reform in the Parliament. However, it was during Kostin’s leadership in the Committee that proper judicial reform was first blocked, and then the necessary legislative changes and proposals were distorted. In particular, for more than 15 months, he has never even put an urgent presidential draft law on the liquidation of the DACK on the parliamentary agenda. Under the leadership of Andrii Kostin, the work of the Committee became completely closed, and the coronavirus pandemic was used to completely limit access to Committee meetings for representatives of the mass media and the public. 

In 2021, Kostin applied to become the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. However, he was eliminated from the competition at the integrity check stage. By law, the Head of the SAPO is a deputy of the Prosecutor General. Is it really possible to hold such an important position for a person who, according to international experts, does not even qualify for the position of Deputy Prosecutor General?

In any case, Andriy Kostin’s candidacy is another continuation of the practice of appointing politically loyal persons to the post of Prosecutor General. This once again emphasises the need for a new procedure for the appointment of the Prosecutor General, which would guarantee their independence.