As reported by the Global Post, the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday approved in the first reading a package of laws aimed at preventing and combating corruption in governmental bodies.

A total of 256 lawmakers of 272 present at the assembly voted for the landmark anti-corruption strategy of Ukraine for 2014-2017, which includes setting up a legal framework to end the abuses of power in public and judicial sectors.

Separately, the lawmakers passed a bill to establish an anti-corruption bureau to curb misuse of public funds and abuse of power among administrative staff.

The bureau will have legal instruments to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption by Ukrainian politicians and civil servants.

The parliament also backed the creation of an anti-corruption committee, enlisting five members appointed by the government and 250 inspectors from civil activists.

The independent committee will be empowered to verify sources of income of politicians and civil servants and monitor their lifestyle to prevent corruption at the local level.

In addition, the parliament adopted a bill, which makes property ownership information freely available through a searchable online database and requires corporations and private firms to disclose their owner names.

The bills have yet to be approved in the second and third readings and signed by President Petro Poroshenko into law.

Source: GlobalPost.com