Speaking at a national anticorruption conference, President Leonid Kuchma called for an effective policy to end “the virus of corruption” and pledged to implement a “tough and truly effective policy against corruption.”

Lashing out at his security services for their ineffectiveness and the Fuel and Energy Ministry for being negligent, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma launched yet another anticorruption drive on Jan. 29, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Speaking at a national anticorruption conference, Kuchma called for an effective policy to end “the virus of corruption” and pledged to implement a “tough and truly effective policy against corruption.”

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) came under particular scrutiny in Kuchma’s speech to the conference. “From the new leadership of the Ukrainian Security Service I expect better awareness of the facts of abuse of office in central executive bodies and in regions…. Neither last year, nor earlier, did law enforcement bodies receive any information on facts of corruption and abuse of office in the top authority structures.”

Kuchma promised to improve the state energy sector, which he labeled “negligent.” Interfax quoted Kuchma as saying: “Economic crimes hit the energy sector the most. They account for every 10th economic crime.” According to Kuchma, some 70 million hryvnyas ($13 million) were lost in the energy sector due to mismanagement and corruption in 2003. “If the national energy company will work the way Naftohaz Ukrayiny or Energoatom do now, I am confident things will turn for the better,” Kuchma said.

Ukraine has ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world throughout both Kuchma administrations in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index.

Former prosecutor appointed to defense council

On Feb. 16, two weeks after the anticorruption conference, former Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun, who was dismissed in October 2003 on charges of corruption and misuse of state funds, was appointed deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council by President Kuchma, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

On Oct. 30, 2003 the “Ukrayinska pravda” Web site (http://www2.pravda.com.ua) published excerpts of charges raised against Piskun at an October meeting of the Coordinating Committee for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, which comprises the heads of the SBU, the Interior Ministry, the State Tax Administration, the Justice Ministry, and other government officials. At this meeting it was decided: “For serious infractions of existing legislation and dishonorable actions, to recommend to the president under Article 106 of the constitution of Ukraine to remove Svyatoslav Piskun from the post of prosecutor-general.” According to “Ukrayinska pravda,” all members of the Coordinating Committee present at the meeting, including SBU head Ihor Smeshko and Interior Minister Mykola Bilokon, voted for the motion. That same day, Kuchma removed Piskun from his post.

Appearing at a press conference that day, Coordinating Committee Chairwoman Olha Kolinko described how Piskun allegedly misused state funds in the sum of 26 million hryvnyas ($5.2 million) “for his private needs,” “Ukrayinska pravda” reported, RK

Roman Kupchinsky, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Volume 4, Number 8, March 12, 2004