France24: Ukraine’s Euro 2012 preparations

Ukrainians are excitedly awaiting the Euro 2012 football tournament, to be co-hosted with Poland. But some suspect those close to the authorities are benefiting disproportionately from the event. Gulliver Cragg reports from Kiev. The European Union has just suspended plans to pay Ukraine 115 million euros in aid, citing a lack of progress in curbing corruption. Brussels says Kiev has not made satisfactory reforms to its state procurement system: non-competitive, non-transparent tenders mean prices can be inflated and money channelled back into the hands of government cronies. Read the story here.