Prosecutor General fires lawyer Shevchuk from SAPO selection commission
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko signed an order on September 4, 2026, terminating the powers of lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk as a member of the competition commission that selects candidates for the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The move followed Shevchuk's own September 3 statement of resignation and a September 1 recommendation by five of the commission's six members to revoke him. Kravchenko has asked the Council of Prosecutors to promptly select a replacement, while Shevchuk claims the commission has lost its authority without him — a claim Transparency International Ukraine disputes.
Key points
- Lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk filed his own statement on September 3 to terminate his commission powers, effective September 7.
- Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko signed the dismissal order on Friday, September 4, 2026, on the early termination of Shevchuk's powers.
- The basis was a September 1 commission meeting where five of six members (all but Shevchuk) voted to recommend his removal.
- Kravchenko asked the Council of Prosecutors to hold a competition as quickly as possible and propose a new sixth member.
- Kravchenko urged remaining commission members not to stop selecting candidates for SAPO administrative posts during the competition for the replacement.
- Shevchuk claims the commission will lose its required empowered composition after his departure; Transparency International Ukraine says it can still decide matters with at least four of six members.
- Shevchuk was previously disbarred or suspended for gross ethical violations including public insults of colleagues and veterans, and had represented pro-Russian ex-deputy Ilya Kyiva and journalist Svitlana Kryukova of the banned outlet 'Strana'.
Why it matters
The SAPO selection commission is the body that chooses candidates for the top posts of Ukraine's specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office, including its head and deputies. Any dispute over its composition and quorum directly affects the legitimacy of ongoing and future SAPO hiring competitions at a time when anti-corruption reform remains a sensitive political and donor priority. Shevchuk's controversial record — prior disbarment for ethical violations and representation of figures tied to pro-Russian circles — had already drawn public demands for his removal from civil society and the media.
What happened
On September 3, 2026, lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk submitted to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko a statement on the early termination of his powers as a member of the competition commission for selecting candidates to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), saying the move would take effect on September 7. The basis for his departure was a recommendation made at a September 1 meeting of the commission, where five of its six members — all but Shevchuk — voted to ask the Prosecutor General to revoke him. Reports from that meeting describe Shevchuk as not letting other members speak and threatening them, including with an appeal to the Austrian prosecutor's office, and as publicly assessing communications to the competition secretariat without coordination with other members. On Friday, September 4, Kravchenko signed an order formally terminating Shevchuk's powers. Kravchenko also asked the Council of Prosecutors of Ukraine to hold a competition in the shortest possible time and propose a candidate for a new, sixth member of the commission, and urged the remaining commission members not to halt their work on selecting candidates for SAPO administrative positions during that competition. Shevchuk, meanwhile, argued that after his departure the commission would be without the required empowered composition and would lose its authority to act. Transparency International Ukraine responded that the commission can still adopt decisions with at least four of six members present, calling his quorum argument incorrect. The commission was formed at the beginning of 2025 and is composed of six members — three proposed by the Council of Prosecutors and three proposed by international partners, with the Prosecutor General approving the final composition; applications for the post of SAPO Deputy Head are being accepted until September 21.
Where reporting differs
Shevchuk argues that after his departure the SAPO selection commission will be without the required empowered composition and will lose its authority to continue work and adopt decisions. Transparency International Ukraine rejects that claim, stating that the commission can still adopt decisions with at least four of six members present and that his argument about loss of authority is incorrect.
Background
The SAPO competition commission was formed at the beginning of 2025 and consists of six members: three proposed by the Council of Prosecutors and three proposed by international partners, with the Prosecutor General approving the final composition. Shevchuk was appointed by the Prosecutor General after the Council of Prosecutors could propose only two of the three required candidates. Applications for the position of SAPO Deputy Head are being accepted until September 21, and the commission will also eventually select a new SAPO head after Oleksandr Klymenko's term expires.