Top police official submits resignation

Serhiy Chebotar, a deputy head in the Interior Ministry, submitted his resignation on May 13 following numerous mounting corruption accusations. A television crew was attacked in late April outside his rural mansion complex during their investigation of allegedly illegally developed properties on the territory of a nature reserve. The journalists alleged Chebotar’s son-in-law was among the assailants. In November, Mykola Tomenko, an adviser to the president, called for prosecutors to investigate allegations that Chebotar sold positions in the ministry and provides cover for numerous tax-evading businesses.

In his turn, Chebotar denied any wrongdoing and accused the mass media of engaging in a systemic campaign of libel and smears. The day he submitted his resignation, at least nine MPs signed a parliamentary resolution demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov for failing to address the corruption allegations against Chebotar.

Zenon Zawada: The scandals surrounding Chebotar demonstrate Western institutions in action in Ukraine. Various branches of government – the legislature, the executive and the “fourth estate” – worked in concert to expose a highly ranked corrupt police official and pressure the law enforcement officials to investigate him. It’s clear Avakov urged Chebotar to resign on his own amid such pressure.

The same day as Chebotar’s resignation, Avakov named Serhiy Lyovochkin – the Presidential Administration head under former President Yanukovych – among others as suspects in corruption investigations of the Ostchem firm controlled by Dmytro Firtash. Avakov could be using this investigation to score points with the public and shift heat away from his long refusal to investigate Chebotar or put him on leave. Time will tell whether the Ostchem investigation will produce results, or merely serve as the latest distraction orchestrated for the mass media.