MP Friz: I hope new head of BES will justify public's trust

Iryna Friz, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence (European Solidarity faction), has said she hopes that the new head of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES), Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, will justify the public's credit of trust.

"He received a credit of support and trust from the public sector, which will expect the new head to truly cleanse the economy of schemes, "cover-ups" and strengthen anti-corruption efficiency," Friz told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

She expressed hope that the BES director will report on the activities of the anti-corruption body not to the Office of the President, but to the people of Ukraine. At the same time, Friz noted that given the autocratic approaches of the authorities, there remains a risk of political pressure on the independence of the structure.

According to the MP, the appointment of Tsyvinsky as BES director ended a long bureaucratic delay in appointing the BES head.

"The winner of the competition passed the polygraph and background checks, despite speculation about security," Friese emphasized.

She recalled that the International Monetary Fund and the EU publicly insisted on the appointment of the head of the BES by July 31.

As reported, on August 6, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed the candidate recommended by the competition commission, Tsyvinsky, to the position of director of the BES.

Before that, Tsyvinsky headed the detective unit of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.