Ukraine's Law Enforcement Agencies Clash Again

In Ukraine, two major law enforcement agencies are at it again. The SBU, Ukraine's security service, and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) are in a public disagreement. This isn't new. They had a big fight in July that caused a political stir. Now, it's happening again. This time, the SBU is accusing NABU of going after a former high-ranking agent for personal reasons. NABU, on the other hand, has charged this former agent with illegal enrichment. They say he got a fancy Kyiv apartment using illegal money and lied about it. The SBU isn't happy about these charges. They say NABU is just trying to get back at them for arresting two of NABU's officials earlier. Those officials were accused of having ties to Russia. This is a big deal because Ukraine is trying to show its European partners that it's serious about fighting corruption, especially during the war. Back in July, the SBU arrested several anti-corruption officials. This led to a big debate in Ukraine. Some lawmakers wanted to limit the powers of NABU and its sister agency, SAPO. But there was a lot of public outcry, and even Ukraine's international partners criticized the move. In the end, President Zelenskiy had to reverse the decision and restore the agencies' powers. This whole situation shows the tension between older agencies like the SBU and newer ones like NABU. The SBU is a big, powerful agency with a lot of responsibilities, from counterintelligence to military operations. While it's praised for its role in the war, it's also been accused of doing political dirty work, like spying on journalists. NABU and SAPO, on the other hand, were created after Ukraine's 2014 uprising to fight corruption. They're seen as independent and effective, which is why they're watched closely by Western allies. These allies want Ukraine to clean up its act on corruption to eventually join the European Union. But not everyone is happy with NABU and SAPO's work. Some officials don't like being scrutinized and have tried to limit their powers. The directors of these agencies are chosen by an international committee, while the SBU chief is appointed by the president. Some experts say this clash highlights the "polarisation" of Ukraine's law enforcement agencies. They worry that this kind of infighting could lead to distrust and unprofessional behavior. One lawmaker even said that all agencies need to act like professionals, not politicians or activists. Yevhen Krapyvin, from a Kyiv think-tank, believes this story isn't over yet. He thinks there's more to come in this ongoing battle between Ukraine's law enforcement agencies.