Yanukovych is Creating Financial Police with Mega Powers that He Will Control

The bill "On the Financial Investigation Service of Ukraine (financial police)" was presented for the approval by the Ministries of Finance and the Interior.

The document promises to make this agency a separate power and authority with special status and mega powers, answering directly to Viktor Yanukovych, writes Forbes.ua.

Under the bill, a new law enforcement agency will deal with all offenses against the economic interests of the country, which are now divided between six different structures: the tax police in the Ministry of Income, the Departments for Combating Economic and Organized Crime in the Ministry of Interior, Department of Economic Counterintelligence Protection of the SSU, anti-smuggling and customs state of the Financial Inspection of Ukraine. These structures are proposed to be abolished.

Among the powers of the Financial Investigations will be monitoring compliance with legislation in the field of public procurement, and combating embezzlement of budgetary funds at all levels, including enterprises that receive support from the state and local budgets, and an internal audit of budget funds. Moreover, as a function of the financial police will fight against money laundering and corruption.

It is noted that the financial policemen will have an adequate authority and power for the tasks. Thus, as the current tax police, they will can carry out inspections and operational-search activities. But this will be supplemented by a complete list of powers that is now available to the employees of the SSU and the Interior Ministry.

Financial police, for example, will be able to use physical force, carry and use batons, tear gas and firearms. However, the use of the latter will be strictly limited - the document has two chapters devoted to the issue.