ILI Chair Tetiana Khutor Discussed the Reboot of the ESBU on LVIV MEDIA
Recent corruption scandals involving the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) should not be viewed as a failure of the reform process but rather as part of the institution’s ongoing cleansing and transformation. This was stated by Tetiana Khutor, Chair of the Institute of Legislative Ideas (ILI), during an interview on LVIV MEDIA. Khutor also serves as a member of the Public Oversight Council and Secretary of the First Certification Commission of the ESBU.
“High-profile corruption cases, including the recent scandal involving the Kyiv office of the ESBU, are not evidence that the Bureau’s reboot has failed. On the contrary, they indicate that internal control mechanisms within the Bureau are functioning,” the expert said.
She added that statements by the ESBU leadership regarding large-scale anti-corruption efforts and personnel renewal demonstrate that responsibility for this process cannot rest solely with the management – it concerns the institution as a whole.
“The ESBU is a large institution with a significant number of vacant positions. In addition, the concentration of authority and financial resources within the Bureau creates elevated corruption risks,” Tetiana Khutor explained.
At the same time, the Chair of ILI acknowledged that achieving complete integrity within the ESBU is impossible. In her view, the certification process alone cannot fully eliminate all dishonest employees.
“Even if corruption cases are uncovered through the involvement of other law enforcement agencies rather than through the ESBU’s internal mechanisms, this should still be welcomed. If external tools can help cleanse the institution where internal mechanisms fall short, they should be used,” Tetiana Khutor emphasized.
Commenting on the large number of ESBU employees who resigned ahead of the certification process, the expert noted that there is no direct evidence linking the resignations to the upcoming assessment. However, the timing of these developments is noteworthy.
“We can say with certainty that many people are leaving the institution, and this is happening just before the recertification process. Therefore, certain conclusions can already be drawn from that fact,” the Chair of ILI noted.
According to Khutor, the ESBU leadership has warned that individuals who resigned or failed certification and later attempt to re-enter the Bureau through a new recruitment competition will receive a “red flag” during the review of their candidacies.