Rada moves to suspend internal affairs minister (11/05/06)

Rada moves to suspend internal affairs minister

RFE/RL Newsline

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on November 2 passed a bill setting up an ad hoc commission to investigate alleged corruption and abuse of office in the Internal Affairs Ministry and proposing that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych suspend Internal Affairs Minister Yurii Lutsenko for two months, UNIAN reported.

The motion, submitted by Party of the Regions National Deputy Yevhen Kushnariov, was supported by 235 lawmakers of the 435 registered for the session. Kushnariov told lawmakers that the reason for his motion is recent articles in the Kyiv-based newspaper 2000 charging that there have been numerous cases of corruption and abuse of office in the Lutsenko-led ministry.

Our Ukraine lawmaker Viacheslav Kyrylenko told the Verkhovna Rada that its move against Mr. Lutsenko is a "political reprisal." Mr. Lutsenko, who has no formal party affiliation, was proposed for his Cabinet job by President Viktor Yushchenko following a deal with Mr. Yanukovych.

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