BES Commission member Malaskevichius: Shocked by scale of attempts to influence our decision
The selection committee for the position of NABU director has reported attempts to influence their decision.
This was stated by committee member Donatas Malaskevichius during a briefing, Censor.NET reports.
"Even though I was warned in advance, I was shocked by the scale of attempts to influence our decisions. I must admit I was too naive from the very beginning. Using the SSU to influence such a process appears not only unacceptable but also dangerous, given how easily the security services can be involved," he said.
According to Malaskevichius, the only reason international partners insisted that half of the commission members be international representatives was their distrust in the ability of Ukrainian decision-makers to make transparent decisions.
"Unfortunately, Ukraine is currently one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. The war has brought even more opportunities for corruption. This is a very difficult situation Ukraine is facing. Regarding the decision, I believe we made the best possible choice. It was made by the commission, and now it is the Cabinet of Ministers’ turn to make their decision," he added.
Background
It was previously reported that the Cabinet of Ministers refused to appoint the winner of the competition for the position of Director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES).
On June 25, the selection commission for the BES director chose Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, the head of the detectives unit in the Second Main Division of NABU, as the winner of the competition. On June 30, the commission submitted its recommendation to the Prime Minister of Ukraine. The government was expected to approve the candidate within ten days.
The BES selection commission decided not to reconsider its decision. Both Ukrainian and international commission members agreed on this.
On July 30, the government once again refused to appoint the winner.
