The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed on Nov. 13 that it received a court order to open a corruption investigation against David Arakhamia, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s parliamentary faction. The High Anti-Corruption Court issued this ruling on Nov. 4, directing acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi to examine an alleged vote buying scheme in parliament. Arakhamia has denied the accusations, telling reporters in Washington on Nov. 6 that he "hadn’t had time to look into the matter." He added that he is not involved in anything unrelated to de-escalating the war or passing bills for financial assistance. The office stated it will review the ruling in accordance with established legal procedures, though no formal case has been registered yet.
Delays and political protection
Vitaly Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, criticized Kovalskyi for refusing to act despite the clear judicial mandate. Shabunin wrote on Facebook on Nov. 11 that the prosecutor general is "flagrantly disregarding" the court ruling to shield Arakhamia from National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) scrutiny. This delay is particularly egregious because a prosecutor from the office personally attended the Nov. 4 hearing where the judge announced the decision. Ukrainian law grants the prosecutor general exclusive authority to register crimes involving members of parliament, meaning NABU cannot proceed without his approval.
Arakhamia’s influence grew dramatically after Andriy Yermak resigned as Chief of Staff in 2025, leading analysts to describe him as the second most influential person in Ukraine. Five lawmakers from the Servant of the People party were charged in December regarding cash payments for votes, including Yurii Kisel, one of Arakhamia’s deputies. In April, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent that the bureau searched the premises of an Arakhamia aide. Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko stated in August that no case exists because the bureau lacks power without the prosecutor general’s consent. The previous prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, also refused to open a case in February before fleeing Ukraine in September amid a scandal.
