Head of Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine and his deputy arrested at government meeting

Today, on March 25, Chief of the State Service of Emergency Situations of Ukraine Sergey Bochkovsky and his first deputy Vasiliy Stoyetsky were arrested at a government meeting for state procurement fraud.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk says chiefs of all the divisions of the Emergency Situations Service have been dismissed too. The head of the State Financial Inspectorate of Ukraine was fired earlier. Afterwards, Yatsenyuk requested the attorney general to look into the activity of the ex-chief.

Meanwhile, a draft protocol that looks to set up an ad hoc investigation committee to inquire into the corruption facts in the activity of the prime minister and the Cabinet has been submitted to the Supreme Rada.

Earlier today, several hundreds of people gathered outside the Ukrainian government demanding resignation of Prime Minister Yatsenyuk. The protesters were holding posters reading “Yatsenyuk is a turncoat oligarch” and “Yatsenyuk – betrayer of revolution of dignity.” They slammed the prime minister of corruption and failure to carry out the promised reforms.

Earlier, Ukrainian experts predicted staff reshuffles at the government. They say Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko may head the Cabinet.