President
Victor Yushchenko met today co-Chairmen of the Interdepartmental anti-corruption working group -
Security Service acting Head Valentyn Nalyvaichenko and Prosecutor General
Oleksandr Medvedko, to discuss implementation of the group's working plan in
2008.
Speaking at
the meeting President Yushchenko stressed that he had examined reports about
the group's activity in 2008 and "cannot give it a positive mark", president's press office reported.
According
to Victor Yushchenko law enforcement bodies worked ineffectively, there was
lack of coordination between Prosecutor's Office, Security Service, State
Customs Service and other bodies, and there were no concrete results of the
group's work.
Reminding
of the working plan adopted at the meeting of the group back in 2008, President
said that "it included around six main directions, we were to make a strike at,
to show effectiveness, that the Prosecutor General cannot be threatened by any
person in this country regardless of this person's position; that he is able to
institute proceedings against any criminal, particularly against a state servant
regardless of this servant's status". Instead, he said, out of 41 projects
foreseen by the plan the group managed to implement only nine.
As an example, President said that only 16 cases against servants in legal system were brought to court. "I can draw
only one conclusion out of this: futile work of the group is most likely explained
by only one thing - by corruption in the institutions responsible for law
enforcement, themselves. You have parties' umbrellas above your heads and think
that you have an alibi", - he said. At the same time he emphasized that it does
not matter how many criminal proceedings are instituted because they are not
carried to conclusion.
In addition
President Yushchenko said that it is a pity that the group did not have any
meetings in the regions, which are mentioned in statistics and surveys as
having high corruption cases spread in them.
Summarizing
his address to those present, Victor Yushchenko suggested holding an
all-national consultative meeting to hear report of the group about the results
of its work.
