Head of District Administrative Court of Kyiv says police certification is unlawful

Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv Pavlo Vovk says that certification of police officers following their acceptance into service is unlawful.

He said this in an interview with Ukrainian News media outlet.

“There was, apparently, a purpose to launch this project quickly not to anger the society. The project was launched. In what way it was launched? Everybody was transferred [into police] without certification. When people were transferred, they were said: ‘Let’s pass certification.’ However, the law does not allow this. A police officer could be subject to certification when he/she is transferred, but when transferred – he/she is already is a police officer and there should be grounds for certification,” he said.

He said that the law on the National Police provided for three grounds for certification, but added that none of them had been set in the high-profile case of chairman of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police Hryhoriy Mamka, who was reinstated in office by court’s ruling.

Vovk also stated that Mamka appealed against the decision of Head of the National Police Khatia Dekanoidze, according to which he was sent to ATO area after reinstating in the office.

Earlier, Mamka had not passed re-certification and had been dismissed by decree of Dekanoidze, but the court reversed the decision and ordered to reinstate him in office.

Mamka was accused of involvement in corruption and racketeering.

The National Police appealed against reinstating of Mamka.

Earlier, Khatia Dekanoidze stated that the police officers, who failed to pass certification, were massively filing lawsuits with the court.