Commission to Audit NBU Formed

"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.