President of Ukraine

Malversation in Ukroboronprom, amber mafia and crimes against minors: President outlined priorities for the law enforcement bodies

2 September 2019 - 15:15

Malversation in Ukroboronprom, amber mafia and crimes against minors: President outlined priorities for the law enforcement bodies

Outlining the key tasks of the reform of the law enforcement bodies and judicial system, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of trouncing top corruption and organized crime.

“Three months ago, as you remember, I met with NABU and SAP executives. I would like to hear a report from them on the results of the prosecution of top corrupt officials,” the Head of State said during a meeting with the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers and the law enforcement bodies.

Also, Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew attention to the investigation into the crimes within Ukroboronprom, malversation in the allocation of billion-hryvnia aid to agricultural enterprises. According to the President, this malversation inflicts great losses to the Ukrainian economy and affects national security. “I call on the leadership of the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Anticorruption Bureau to report on the course of investigation into these facts,” he said.

The President also expects to hear a report on the results of the audit of the use of taxpayers’ funds “presented as a gift to the greatest agricultural bosses” from Head of the Accounting Chamber Valerii Patskan.

The Head of State also requires a report from the leaders of the SBI, Security Service and National Police on the fight against amber mafia, illegal deforestation, extraction of minerals belonging to the whole nation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew special attention to the investigation into crimes against minors. In particular, the murder of five-year-old Kyrylo Tliavov in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi and fires in the Victoria Children's Camp and in the Tokyo Star Hotel in Odesa.

The President also considers it necessary to adopt the Security Service Reform Concept. In his opinion, it should set out a holistic vision of all directions and prospects of development of the Ukrainian special service.

At the same time, the new version of the Law of Ukraine “On the Security Service of Ukraine” should be amended as required by the Constitution, the Law of Ukraine “On the National Security of Ukraine” and the operative situation in the country.

According to the Head of State, it is also necessary to adopt a law on the protection of classified information. "At the same time, we should take into account the requests of our foreign partners, without interfering with the implementation of the tasks assigned to the Security Service," Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.

Separately, the President emphasized the intensification of work on the implementation of measures aimed to carry out the Concept of providing counterintelligence regime in Ukraine.