On Monday President Viktor Yushchenko is to present a new minister to MIA top officials – it is Yuriy Lutsenko who had already been on this post.
Out of former MIA staff only first deputy minister and head of main department for combating organized crime Ihor Belozub remains, reports Segodnya newspaper with reference to the sources in the President’s Secretariat and MIA.
He was appointed to this post by Mr. Lutsenko during his first term in MIA and is considered to be his protégée.
According to the publication, the post of another first deputy minister will be occupied by Mykhaylo Kluyev who was appointed to the post of MIA Donetsk administration in February 2005.
During his term on this post Mr. Kluyev was noted for his active participation in the investigation of loud cases against Donetsk business leaders. In particular, it is the “Kolesnykov case”, which was at the time considered by Mr. Lutsenko to be the main success of MIA, and by the Party of Regions and Mr. Kolesnykov himself, a blatant fraud, notes the publication.
MIA will also see its other former officials return, such as former deputy minister Volodymyr Yevdokymov, head of criminal investigation department Petro Kolyada, and head of MIA main headquarters Mykhaylo Verbensky.
Among those again invited for deputy posts by Mr. Lutsenko one finds Oleksandr Savchenko (he used to lead Militia department of public security and then State Security Service before he retired), Volodymyr Khomenko (former head of MIA Crimea administration and permanent President’s representative in the Crimea), and Bohdan Kernitsky (former head of MIA Odesa administration).
However, according to the information of the publication, current PM Yulia Tymoshenko spoke against the appointment of Mr. Savchenko – some time ago, in particular during the dispersal of tent city “Rise, Ukraine!” in 2002 they have not come to terms, and during some stressful situation she even slapped him in the face.
According to one of the current deputy ministers, he and his colleagues changed their primary decision to resist until the very last and appeal to their dismissals in courts. They have already submitted their vacation reports with subsequent resignation.
When asked why, a source in the ministry’s central apparatus informed the publication that a certain gentleman’s agreement took place: “No matter if we protested or not, we would have to leave – in any case Lutsenko would bring to power those he believed to be necessary for him. Besides, he promised not to initiate political persecution of Tsushko’s entourage. The deputies retreated not to stress this conflict situation even more.”
In addition, head of State Automobile Inspection (SAI) department Oleksiy Kalinsky has already submitted his resignation report. It is expected that SAI will be led by former head of this department Serhiy Kolomiyets.
Source: Ukrayinska Pravda
