Law enforces seek arguments to support their interests
By Serhiy ZGURETS, The Day
Setting up the National Bureau of Investigation in Ukraine (one is, of
course, reminded of the American FBI), meant to combat corruption and crime,
is a project being enviously followed by the SBU (Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrainy
or Security Service of Ukraine). "Ukraine must be a very rich country,
judging by the fact that it establishes a new law enforcement structure
every year," General Leonid Derkach, SBU head, caustically remarked.
The fact that the head of the Ukrainian secret police thought it expedient
to criticize this new law enforcement structure means that the two-year-old
NBI idea is gradually losing its attractiveness on high. There is, however,
a "personal" aspect: the NBI will incorporate the SBU's K Directorate,
originally established to fight corruption and crime. Giving up this unit
means narrowing SBU's influence. In any case, the NBI bill was hotly debated
in Verkhovna Rada and failed to collect the required votes even in the
first reading. SBU Chief Leonid Derkach decided to let off a couple of
shots aimed at Vasyl Durdynets, another general, who is supposed to head
the NBI, which is still on paper.
"Even if they pass the bill and NBI becomes a reality, it is anyone's
guess whether they will be authorized to detect, investigate, and apprehend,
because the laws currently do not make this point any clearer. Secondly,
if the Government Communications Service and Foreign Intelligence departments
are deleted from SBU, we will end up with capacities bringing us very close
to the Federal Investigation Bureau. And we all know that FBI, apart from
spying, is doing precisely what we are supposed to do. As for combating
organized crime, we have 850 persons on payroll who are supposed to be
doing just that. The Interior Ministry has 10,000. However, trying to make
these people work together or compare the number of cases they have solved
would not be worthwhile," says General Derkach. As for comparing professional
capabilities, this is apparently aimed at General Durdynets who made much
use of statistics defending his NBI case in Parliament.
SBU in its undeclared war with NBI also has the Prosecutor's Office
on its side. True, unlike the leadership, the younger members of these
agencies may, of course, be tempted by quicker NBI promotions. However,
this temptation may well prove illusory once it transpires during subsequent
parliamentary debates of the bill that NBI is to have only civilians on
staff, meaning they will be without the uniform and attendant benefits.
Even so the NBI idea does not look very promising; there is a fair chance
that the project will be shelved, like so many others.






