Oleksandr Tsyvinsky wins the competition for the post of BES chairman: what is known about him
25 June 09:20
NABU detective Oleksandr Tsyvinsky won the competition for the post of head of the Bureau of Economic Security. This was announced by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to the MP, Tsyvinsky’s candidacy was supported by three representatives of international organizations. Instead, Ukrainian government officials supported other candidates, detectives Mykhailo Burtovyi and Oleh Borysenko, with three votes each.
The Anti-Corruption Action Center reported that during the meeting it became known about a letter from the SBU confirming that several candidates have relatives with Russian passports, including Tsyvinsky.
The latter has repeatedly said that he has not communicated with his father, who lives in Russia, for years. In addition, as a NABU detective, Tsyvinsky had previously passed all the checks to gain access to state secrets.
Members of the commission from the authorities insisted that this letter from the SBU should be taken into account and that the Service should be given time to assess possible risks.
According to the law, it is Oleksandr Tsyvinsky who is to be proposed to the government for the position of BES head.
The Cabinet of Ministers has 10 days to approve him, and the next meeting will be held on Wednesday at 12 o’clock.
Who is Oleksandr Tsyvinsky?
Tsyvynskyi is a current detective at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, having worked there since 2015.
He is the head of the 3rd Detective Unit of the 2nd Main Department of the NABU.
He took part in the high-profile investigation into corruption in Kyiv’s construction sector, Chyste Misto.
Tsyvinsky said he does not communicate with his father, who lives in Russia.
The Anti-Corruption Action Center claims that he has passed all the checks necessary for access to state secrets.
Scandal with the competition for the head of the BES
Representatives of the state in the competition commission for the position of the head of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) disrupted the last stage of the competition, namely the interview with the candidates, citing the need for additional verification by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Although all the candidates passed the special check on May 15, according to Yuriy Ponomarenko, the state representative in the commission, information emerged at the last minute that at least three candidates may have ties to Russia.
“Now, when the very survival of Ukrainian statehood is at stake, we must be as careful as possible. Only the Security Service of Ukraine can be the only authoritative source of verification of information about possible ties between the candidates and Russia,” he said during the last meeting.
Martyna Bohuslavets, head of the Anti-Corruption Center “Mezha”, said that the competition for the post of head of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) on June 9 was finally disrupted by the President’s office. According to her, three government members of the competition commission from Ukraine did not attend the meeting and disrupted it due to the lack of quorum: Yuriy Ponomarenko from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Oleh Hilyaka from the Ministry of Economy, and Tetiana Matselyk from the Ministry of Finance.
She also points out that the competition for the position of BES director is our country’s obligation to the International Monetary Fund and that Ukraine could lose five billion dollars in support if it fails to fulfill its obligations .
Bohuslavets emphasizes that the commission has very little time left, as the agreement with the IMF stipulates that the competition should be completed by the end of July this year.
“Funding for the Commission’s activities is also limited, and the situation threatens to completely disrupt the reset of the BES and damage Ukraine’s financial capacity,” she adds.
The Anti-Corruption Center “Mezha” handed over a laptop with information in English on the disruption of the competition to 30 international partners, including the G7.
