Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet says that former Deputy Chief of Staff of President Viktor Yanukovych Andriy Portnov and MP Vadim Novinsky (non-factional) have the right to serve at the supervisory board of the Odesa Law Academy National University.

"Each higher education institution has autonomy, and solely on the proposal of the higher education institution, an order is formed to form a supervisory board. Tell me, the names of Portnov, Novinsky, someone else, they are convicts, criminals, or they have no right, or have things, because of which it is prohibited by law to be on the supervisory board?" Shkarlet said at a press conference during the All-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Answers"on Tuesday.

The Minister said that the Odesa Law Academy submitted this submission and the Ministry of Education agreed on it.

"If this is a criminal, if a person in some way cannot be on the supervisory board, then the ministry will not agree on him," he said.

As reported, in January 2021, Portnov and Novinsky joined the supervisory board of the Odesa Law Academy National University.