The chief of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) Yuriy Lutsenko wants to settle the issue of jurisdiction between law-enforcement agencies by stripping the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) of the exclusive right to investigate crimes involving corruption.
At a briefing on Sept. 28 in Kyiv Lutsenko, speaking about legislative initiatives prepared by law-enforcement agencies, noted the necessity of solving the problem of jurisdiction in the investigation of criminal cases between law-enforcement agencies.
“There is so much criminality in the country that to give the exclusive right to one rather small law-enforcement to battle high-level corruption is not effective. We will not reduce NABU’s grants of authority one iota … but simultaneously, if these allegedly corrupt officials [individuals who may be suspected of committing crimes involving corruption] are confronted by police, tax authorities or prosecutors, then these cases may be assigned by the PGO chief may task them with continuing with the case,” Lutsenko said.
The PGO chief said another legislative initiative involves the necessity of establishing the institute of criminal acts.
“Criminal acts specified in the Criminal Code of Ukraine until now are not listed in other codes and legislation are crimes punishable by a 2-year jail term and less,” Lutsenko said. He added that the pretrial investigation of criminal acts, if draft legislation is approved, would be repealed and a more simple formula for obtaining evidence would be introduced.
“In my opinion this is a key law, which would not only make the work of law-enforcement agents easier, but would bring the police closer to the people,” Lutsenko said.
A third legislative initiative is a package of draft laws involving introduction of criminal responsibility for transporting and processing timber, as well as illegal mining of sand and amber.
“Next Wednesday [October 5] the respective Verkhovna Rada committee … and I have an agreement with Mr. Kozhemiakin, who is the head of the committee for ensuring legislation for law-enforcement agencies … will review these draft laws, which were drafted by law-enforcement agencies and will be submitted by deputies,” Lutsenko said.
