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SBU vs. NBI

23 March, 00:00

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.

Newspaper output №:

№11, (1999)

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