"In submitting its suggestion to form a parliamentary investigatory
committee to audit the NBU, the SDPU(u) faction proceeded from the fact
that we should not let the NBU be thrown to the dogs because of the country's
financial crisis.
"But we should not ignore that in discussing this question, there was
a number of unanswered accusations. In addition, there is a note from the
Security Service, containing specific names, figures, and facts. This is
why we insist on forming an auditing commission and draw a line under this
problem, freeing Yushchenko from political blackmail by means of incomplete
verifications," said SDPU(u) faction leader Yevhen Marchuk.
231 deputies voted for forming the new investigatory commission and
chose its members. Incidentally, Viktor Suslov (who is supposed to chair
the investigation) told The Day before the morning session, "there
were attempts by some forces in the NBU and Parliament to block the creation
and work of this commission."
In particular, the stubbornness of the Parliament Speaker is explained
by People's Deputy Riabchenko (Green Party) by the fact that "some steps
were taken to go around the Speaker, and Tkachenko would not want the Parliament
to do these things without his participation." Most recent actions by the
Speaker show that his interests were taken into account. There are rumors
that at the beginning Tkachenko was interested in replacing the NBU head
with a Peasant Party representative, who would make a monetary emission
to cover in the first place the income reduction for agricultural producers
who are freed from tax pressure. But now, according to Dmytro Tabachnyk,
Tkachenko was persistently "advised" to agree to forming the commission
and refrain from the idea of putting his man in the NBU post. According
to Tabachnyk, "a wide circle of people could do it: from big-time bankers,
who are not always satisfied with Yushchenko's actions, to certain factions,
which want to widen their banks' spheres of influence."
The fact that Parliament agreed to assume investigative powers speaks
in favor of the second alternative. According to People's Deputy Lavrynovych,
the investigation will obviously not turn out in the NBU governor's favor,
for "a parliamentary investigation will have to be different from an SBU
and Prosecutor General investigation by being publicly and noisy."
"If the issue was about the NBU violating laws, the case would have
been considered without Parliament's taking part. But if we are dealing
with political games against Yushchenko, then the investigation will have
to be public," declared Riabchenko. There is a version, that after discrediting
Yushchenko, whose position has weakened this year, the current Eksimbank
head Sorokin will become NBU head.






