Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau Begins Staff Audit Amid Extortion Allegations

The head of Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) signed an order on Jan. 29 to begin a mandatory one-time certification for all agency employees.

The BEB, founded in 2021 to battle financial crimes, said the latest move aims to verify its staff’s “integrity and professional competence” in a press release.

The launch of the employee’s reassessment is a response to longstanding criticism from the business community, which accused the agency of inheriting the practices of the former tax police, including extortion and pressure on companies.

If successful, the reassessment could transform the BEB into an effective player in Ukraine’s fight against financial crime.

Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, appointed as the BEB’s chief in August 2025, said the tests would be done “to ensure its transparency, predictability, and respect for the rights of each employee.”

The BEB said the assessments must be completed by February 2027, 18 months after Tsyvinsky took office.

The vetting process will take place in two stages, starting with senior leadership and their deputies in both the central office and regional branches. Once top management has been evaluated, the review will extend to the bureau’s rank-and-file staff.

Specialized 12-member commissions – 6 Ukrainians and 6 international experts – would conduct the evaluations, preventing current BEB employees from participating in the decision-making.

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Who is Oleksandr Tsyvinsky? What is the BEB?

Originally established in spring 2021, the BEB is tasked with tackling financial crimes such as fraud, tax evasion, smuggling, and money laundering.

It was designed to replace inefficient law enforcement bodies, including the tax police, and take over functions previously handled by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But the agency initially retained many former personnel who lacked the necessary qualifications, drawing widespread criticism and ultimately prompting a major overhaul in 2024.

After the agency’s former director resigned in 2023 amid scandals and allegations that detectives concealed criminal activity, a new appointment process was launched under revised procedures.

Tsyvinsky, a former detective with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), was appointed as the BEB’s director in August 2025 after a prolonged delay.

In late July 2025, the European Commission said that a properly appointed BEB chief and the agency’s independent operation are crucial for Ukraine’s EU accession talks. The latest reforms are necessary for the bureau to perform its role effectively.