12:32 02.06.2015

Working group to return embezzled funds to Ukraine draws up interagency cooperation measures

2 min read

The interagency working group on coordinating the return of funds embezzled by former officials to Ukraine has drawn up ways to increase the efficiency of work and cooperation of law-enforcement agencies and central executive power agencies in the area.

The press service of Prosecutor General's Office reported last week that mechanisms for effective cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and central executive power agencies have been worked out, as well as the required amendments to Ukrainian legislation.

The main problems the authorities face during the investigation of criminal proceedings against former officials and when searching for and returning embezzled assets to Ukraine have been defined. Proposals to amend Ukrainian law are being prepared to settle the problems.

It is urgently required to allow investors access to information databases and state registers, create a register of banking accounts of individuals; improve the arrest institution in the criminal proceedings, establish a specialized fund of seized assets which would also finance corruption prevention measures, create of a specialized agency for searching illegal assets, storing, management and distribution of the arrested assets.

The concrete proposals to settle the above-mentioned problems and improve the mechanisms of cooperation between power agencies have been presented to the Presidential Administration of Ukraine.

An agreement between the Prosecutor General's Office and Information Center state enterprise was signed during the group's work to allow investigators to have access to the state register of ownership rights to immovable property.

The working group was created on March 26, 2015. Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Vitaliy Kasko was appointed as the head of the group (by consent). Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Taranov was appointed as his deputy. The group also includes First Deputy Head of the SBU - Head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of the SBU Central Department Yuriy Artiukhov, Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration Olena Zarkal, Deputy Head of the State Service for Financial Monitoring of Ukraine Vitaliy Zubriy, Deputy Interior Minister - Head the Main Investigation Department Vitaliy Sakal, Deputy Prosecutor General (by consent) David Sakvarelidze, Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Volodymyr Synkevych, Deputy Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Yakov Smoliy, and Deputy Minister of Justice Anton Yanchuk.

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