Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security leadership contest cast into doubt over non-transparent evaluation

The contest for the head of Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security (BES) has come under scrutiny due to concerns over the transparency of the evaluation process. The third stage of the selection—practical task assessment—has faced criticism for questionable results. Contest participant Viktor Dubovyk raised concerns on his Facebook page, emphasizing the loss of trust in the selection process.

According to Dubovyk, the leading candidate had shown only average results in previous stages, ranking fifth in the cognitive test and receiving one of the lowest scores—36 points—for knowledge of legislation. However, after the practical task assessment, this candidate unexpectedly outperformed all others.

Dubovyk also noted that the practical assignments were not translated for foreign commission members, meaning the evaluation was conducted by a working group whose composition remains undisclosed. He described the contest as “a manual rewriting of the ranking table based on political preferences” and vowed to challenge the results publicly and legally.

The BES leadership contest began in April and consists of three stages: cognitive testing, a legislative knowledge assessment, and practical task evaluation. Fourteen candidates advanced to the final stage, but the evaluation process has been criticized for lacking transparent criteria and being susceptible to subjective influence.

Amid the controversy, the commission decided to postpone candidate interviews to June 21-23 and granted Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) 10 days to investigate three candidates for alleged ties to the aggressor state. Commission chair Laura Ștefan confirmed receiving a new letter from the SBU, which justified the need for further investigation, though the names of the candidates under review were not disclosed.

The interviews will be conducted online, and their order will remain unchanged. The commission has not yet set a date for announcing the results but aims to make a decision on the final day of interviews.

Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Holos party) claimed that the contest could be blocked after the IMF board meeting, most likely through legal action.

Earlier, on June 8, Ukrainian commission members proposed suspending the contest after receiving an SBU letter alleging ties between three candidates and Russia. However, three international commission members voted to continue the selection process, and under the law, their votes prevailed, meaning the contest was set to resume within 24 hours. The next day, June 9, three Ukrainian commission members—Yuriy Ponomarenko, Oleh Hiliaka, and Tetiana Matselik—failed to attend the meeting, preventing a quorum.

The contest is being conducted under Law No. 10439, passed by the Verkhovna Rada on June 29, 2024, which mandates a competitive selection process for the new BES director with the involvement of international experts. The law also requires an attestation of BES employees within a year of the new director’s appointment.