President Viktor Yushchenko will demand urgent changes in the
leadership of law enforcement authorities and will sign the appropriate
suggestions later today, he said at the meeting on fighting corruption
with Deputy Chief of Staff, Representative of the President of Ukraine
on monitoring the activities of the Security Service of Ukraine Petro
Shatkovsky, Acting Prosecutor General of Ukraine Serhiy Vynokurov,
Chairman of the Security Service Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, Deputy
Minister of Justice Leonid Efimenko, Acting Chairman of State Customs
Service Oleksandr Mukhin and President of the Accounting Chamber
Valentyn Symonenko.
Yushchenko stressed that Ukraine’s Corruption Perceptions
Index rank has fallen in recent years from 99 in 2006 to 146 in 2009.
According to him, for the first time in five years, during the ten
months of this year the number of exposed corruption offenses has
fallen by 13.9%.
The President accused the law-enforcement authorities of simulating fighting corruption. "I would say that you are talentless
ministers and heads of departments. With your work and incompetence you
humiliate the entire nation", said Victor Yushchenko. The President
noted that 46 million Ukrainians expect them to deal effectively with
corruption, but these officials are unable to justify hopes of these
people, "because they lack professionalism in leading this struggle."
Today, he said, corruption in the country begins "with the highest
state officials”. "That is why I am talking about Ministers, sometimes
one, at other times the other, that is why I am talking about the
Government – in every other state the fight against corruption is
conducted by the Government. How can this fight be carried out in
Ukraine when 22% criminal cases against police officers and 25% of
cases against customs officials are closed?", said Yushchenko.
Separately the President urged the Prosecutor General’s Office to
take necessary criminal and procedural measures to stir up the
investigation of the most scandalous criminal cases, such as crimes of
Zvarych, Lozynsky, Pukach, Bakay, Bodelan and others. The society is
tired of waiting for the results in these investigations, he said.
The President also instructed the Security Service to verify
information on BYuT’s plans to bribe members of district election
commissions. Victor Yushchenko said that from the beginning of the
presidential campaign he has been receiving information that BYuT is
developing a new system for the promotion of members of election
commissions.
In particular, according to the President, BYuT
representatives have promised that if Yulia Tymoshenko takes first
place at a given district commission, its member, who ensured this
first place, would be included first in BYuT party lists at local
elections planned for spring 2010. "It is a threat to Ukrainian
democracy and I request the Security Service to organize verification
of this information", said Yushchenko, president's press office reported.
The President also requested the co-chairs the Interagency Working
Group on Combating Corruption to prepare reports on how every relevant
Office was fighting corruption in 2009 the 5 days term. He also
instructed the NSDC Secretary to conclude the work on establishment of
the Anti-Corruption Coordinating Council.
