Big Hunt: Anyone Who Wants To Can Fight Corruption

On January 8 the Ukrainian Youth Bloc publicized its anti-corruption witness support and protection program, the Big Hunt, aimed at creating a mechanism of legal and social support of citizens who have ventured to witness for the prosecution in cases against high officials. As program author and coordinator Oleksandr Lialka stated at the press conference on the Big Hunt, “the state has proven its inability to unilaterally combat corruption, as it largely epitomizes this phenomenon.” Unlike the anti-corruption initiatives by parties exploiting this problem to reap political dividends, the Big Hunt should serve an example of effective resistance to corruption. Program organizers consider the procedure to be very simple: “High-minded citizens who have decided to resist the systemic corruption in the state” and can produce reliable evidence are requested to call the program executive board at Kyiv hot-line (044) 467-30-44 and provide exhaustive information about the violation they want to report on. Communications between the claimants and program directors will be kept strictly confidential. Following a preliminary analysis of the facts presented, and in case they prove sufficient to instigate criminal proceedings, a legal aid group (in this case staff of the DeLL legal foundation) will work out a scheme of further legal assistance. After the court has found a state functionary guilty, the claimant will receive UAH 100,000, which, according to Mr. Lialka, will suffice for the person, if need be, to change the place of residence, work, etc. According to the organizers, the program is not of a limited duration and “will not end come March 31” (Election Day for Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada — Author). The Big Hunt is funded by the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Ukraine, which is part of the Bloc of Ukrainian Youth. The bloc itself was set up over a month ago and currently comprises 32 non-governmental political organizations. Its founders consider it a nonpolitical organization.