AntAC, an independent watchdog, filed a complaint with Kovalskyi in October, asking him to investigate Arakhamia’s possible involvement in buying votes in parliament. The complaint cited a case involving lawmakers who, according to NABU, may have received cash in exchange for their votes. Five lawmakers from Zelensky’s Servant of the People party were charged in the case in late December. At the time, searches were conducted at the premises of Arakhamia’s aide, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent; the source said the investigation could involve more members of parliament.
The Prosecutor General’s Office had refused to register the complaint in October, saying the circumstances described in it were already under investigation in another criminal case.
Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer at AntAC, told the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian law gives the prosecutor general exclusive authority to register alleged crimes involving members of parliament, making the acting prosecutor general’s approval necessary for NABU to investigate Arakhamia. Shevchuk said AntAC was “in no way declaring Arakhamia guilty,” adding that the court should have upheld the watchdog’s complaint against him under the law.
Shevchuk said that if Kovalskyi does not comply, AntAC will pursue further action, including disciplinary measures against the acting prosecutor general. The watchdog noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office had also refused to open a case against Arakhamia in February following a complaint by another anti-corruption NGO, Mezha. At the time, the prosecutor general was Ruslan Kravchenko, who fled Ukraine in September amid a corruption scandal.
Oleksandr Klymenko, chief of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, said in August that anti-corruption agencies were constrained in investigating lawmakers because they had to obtain the prosecutor general’s approval. In early November, Kovalskyi told reporters that he had never met with Arakhamia.
Asked about the accusations, Arakhamia told the Kyiv Independent that he “hadn’t had time to look into the matter.” “I’m not involved in anything that is not related to the possibility of de-escalating the war or passing bills necessary to secure financial assistance for the country,” he said.
Arakhamia has played a key role in keeping Ukraine’s increasingly strained parliament functioning and securing votes for key legislation. His influence has grown notably since the dismissal of the President’s Office head, Andriy Yermak, last fall, with some analysts and lawmakers describing him as the second most influential person in Ukraine. He has also been brought back into Ukraine’s negotiating team for peace talks with the U.S. and Russia.
Allegations that Ukrainian lawmakers secretly receive cash as an unofficial allowance or to encourage certain votes have circulated for years. Arakhamia denied in 2022 that lawmakers were receiving unofficial cash payments, but lawmakers from other parties argued that, as head of the parliamentary group, he must have been aware of the practice and speculated that he may have helped establish the system to maintain control over voting.