After a tough debate, the Verkhovna Rada on Feb. 3 gave preliminary approval to a law that bans former law enforcement officers from applying for work in the national Anti-Corruption Bureau and adds fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych to the list of officials who can be investigated by the new body.
Some 283 lawmakers, an overwhelming majority, backed the decision in the first reading.
The bill also introduces the institution of detectives who will combine functions of investigators and field officers and sets pay for employees of the bureau, including Hr 60,900 ($3,700) for the head, Hr 23,000 – 26,000 ($1,400 – $1,600) for detectives.
Detectives are given the powers of arrest and the right to confiscate property of public officials if it doesn’t correspond to their financial declarations.
“This idea was suggested by our Georgian colleagues. They recommended us to adopt this law so that we have a real instrument for anti-corruption fight,” Yegor Sobolev, head of parliament’s anti-corruption committee said in parliament.
Yuriy Lutsenko, a co-sponsor of the law from the Bloc of President Petro Poroshenko, said it is one of the key bills Verkhovna Rada has passed.
“We took into account the experience of our Georgian and Polish colleagues, and we discussed it together with Ukrainian experts and civic activists,” Lutsenko said. “The current draft law meets European standards at least for 90 percent.”
While suggested changes were favored by majority of the lawmakers, the procedure of appointment of the bureau’s head prompted a long discussion. According to the acting law, a special commission selects candidates for its head and suggests the best three to the president, who approves one of them. The president also has the right to dismiss while parliament can cast a no-confidence vote against the bureau head.
Lawmakers from Prime Minister’s Arseniy Yatsenyuk People’s Front Party called for granting the right to appoint and dismiss the anti-corruption chief to the parliament and at first refused to vote for any changes to the law without this amendment.
“We need to maintain the balance of powers,” Viktoria Siumar, a lawmaker of People’s Front party, said while addressing lawmakers.
The parliament then agreed to pass the current version but plan to amend it in 15 days. Lutsenko, however, is certain it should be passed before the candidates for the head of the bureau will be set. The recruitment for the head of the bureau is currently underway. Feb.12 is the deadline for applying for the position. The bureau’s chief will be then recruiting detectives.
“Hopefully we’ll manage to amend it by the end of the next week,” Lutsenko said.
