Following the exposure of ESBU staff taking bribes, the Rada called for an investigation into the agency’s criminal proceedings
The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine has once again found itself at the centre of a corruption scandal following allegations that two of its staff members had accepted bribes. According to the investigation, one of the individuals involved offered to help others avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for money. Against the backdrop of these events, the Verkhovna Rada has called for a review of the legality of the criminal proceedings opened and an audit of the agency’s activities, reports UNN.
The exposure of the Economic Security Bureau staff members was announced by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Two separate criminal proceedings are involved.
According to the investigation, a senior detective from the ESBU’s regional office in the Kyiv region demanded $15,000 from a man who had previously been implicated in a case involving the production and distribution of counterfeit money.
Investigators believe that the official threatened to bring criminal charges against the man again and offered to resolve the matter in exchange for a monetary reward. To arrange the meetings, he used official summonses for investigative procedures.
After receiving the first instalment of $10,000, no further proceedings were taken against the complainant. The detective was arrested whilst receiving the next instalment of the money.
He is charged with receiving an unlawful benefit by a public official in a position of responsibility, on a large scale, under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The second case concerns an analyst at the ESBU’s central office, who previously worked in the tax authorities. According to the investigation, he promised a company representative that he would facilitate the granting of a licence to store fuel through his connections in the tax service in exchange for $2,000.
Law enforcement officers detained him whilst he was receiving the funds. The analyst is charged with receiving an unlawful benefit for influencing the decision-making of a person authorised to perform state functions, under Part 3 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The Economic Security Bureau announced a restructuring of the department
Following the publication of information regarding the detention of staff members, the head of the Bureau of Economic Security, Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, announced a restructuring of the Bureau’s regional office in the Kyiv region.
According to him, during the agency’s transformation, legislative restrictions were identified that affect the internal control unit’s ability to detect and document corruption offences.
Tsivinsky also announced his intention to strengthen internal control and stated that relevant amendments to the legislation are planned to be introduced in the near future.
He said that the ESBU aims to create a model whereby corruption risks are identified and addressed before they become the subject of criminal proceedings.
Parliament calls for an audit of the agency’s activities
Volodymyr Vatrus, Chair of the Subcommittee on the Organisation and Activities of the Bar and Legal Aid Bodies of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy, stated that the emergence of suspicions regarding ESBU staff is an alarming sign.
According to him, the Economic Security Bureau was established as a body intended to prevent corruption within the economic divisions of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police, so the fact that its employees have been exposed for corruption offences is a cause for concern.
Vatras noted that following such incidents, the prosecution authorities should scrutinise the activities of the ESBU more closely.
The MP also called for an audit of criminal proceedings currently under investigation by the Economic Security Bureau.
“What next? An audit of criminal proceedings, a review of the legality of their initiation. All this falls within the remit of the prosecution authorities. Therefore, I believe they need to take a more thorough approach to the activities of the ESBU,” said Vatrás.
He also stated that he expects the new leadership of the ESBU to deliver results in the fight against internal corruption and to take the necessary personnel decisions in the departments where such incidents have been recorded.
The investigation is ongoing. The Dnipro Specialised Prosecutor’s Office for the Eastern Region is overseeing the proceedings.
According to ThePublic, lawyer Mykola Orekhovsky stated that the Bureau of Economic Security had fabricated evidence in the case concerning the alleged embezzlement of state funds at JSC “Ukrgazvydobuvannya”. According to him, the charges are based on an expert assessment that was conducted with numerous violations and without taking into account the specific nature of the enterprises.
