Expert: The Police Reform is Under Threat

The Police reform is under threat, because in one of the most problematic areas – investigative, there are no reforms at all.

Yuri Bilousov, an expert of the Expert Center for Human Rights told the Human Rights Information Center.

According to him, the number of illegal detentions in 2015-2016 only increased.

“There is still the practice to distinguish between actual and procedural detention. Partly, this happens because of the gaps in legislation and because there haven’t been any changes in the investigation so  far. So, despite the loud statements of the Minister, police performance indicators have not changed,” – expert commented.

The worst of all, according to Bilousov, is a complete opacity of appointments to senior positions, especially at the level of central apparatus.

“Avakov have not created a commission, prescribed by The Law on National Police. As a result, Takhtay was reappointed and still works in the Interior Ministry, notwithstanding charges in corruption,” Bilousov said.

The newly appointed Secretary of State of the Ministry of the Interior Deputy Interior Minister Olexiy Takhtay is involved in the scandal on the illegal sale of sand. In particular, in a video? released by the SBU, where Takhtay together with another deputy interior minister and the director of the “Specservis” (Special Service) discusses how to sell sand, stored in a state enterprise to an intermediary company.

Also, according to Yuriy Bilousov, Interior Ministry personnel is constantly increasing, and “soon it will surpass the number of employees under Zakharchenko [former Interior Minister during Yanukovych presidency – ed.].”

“There are a large number of units that do not what they should do! As, for example, the Department of policy in relation to the subordinated authorities, or the Department of international activities, which is located on the same floor as the Department of international activities of the National Police,” – he mentioned.

According to him, lack of transparency and secrecy of the Ministry is contrary to the openness of the National Police: “It seems, these are two mutually independent states.”