Combating Corruption is the Most Important of All Arts

Whether the struggle against corruption in Ukraine will reach a new qualitative level is hard to say. Most likely, it will become more public, as evidenced by a press conference organized on February 9 by the SBU secret police, Ministry of the Internal Affairs, and Prosecutor General’s Office (see photo).

Judging by the press conference, this struggle is thus far embodied by the case of former Premier Lazarenko. According to Prosecutor General Mykhailo Potebenko, investigation into the case is being carried out effectively. He further announced that he has information to the effect that Lazarenko, while Premier, transferred money not only to his own bank accounts but also to those of certain People’s Deputies. Naturally, the latter were not identified, this being classified information for the duration of the criminal investigation. SBU chief Leonid Derkach explained the drawn-out investigation by the complexity of receiving financial instruments from foreign banks relating to the Lazarenko case (SBU records indicate the former Premier made 77 trips abroad). Those who did business with Lazarenko would now and then become victims of road accidents or commit suicide. Was Lazarenko involved? None of the secret police or law enforcement officials could say beyond a reasonable doubt. Internal Affairs Minister Yuri Kravchenko, however, promised that many things would become clear after Lazarenko “kissed (the soil of) his native land.”

When asked about reopening the case of Oleksandr Tkachenko and his Land and Freedom Association, Mr. Potebenko stressed that the case was closed before his appointment as General Prosecutor. “We are studying it again, and not because Tkachenko pulled out, but because we want to try again to make the right decision,” he assured. “I said from the rostrum that I would not revise the case, but that we would look into it again if we received additional evidence, to see if the previous decision was justified.” As for “additional evidence” with regard to Volkov and Pinchuk, the Prosecutor General declared that such evidence must be specific and authentic, rather than an attempt to get even for personal reasons, using the General Prosecutor’s Office and SBU. dragged out by friends or by the rescue team month). And others are unlucky ones.