New Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko gave his first extensive press conference on May 30, where he presented his reform plan and new leadership of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO). Incidentally, the press conference was to be held as early as May 26, but was postponed, and the press service offered no reasons for it. The new PGO chief’s speech and overall conversation was fully in the well-known Lutsenko style, involving somewhat emotional presentation, biting phrases and promises.
“I have really come to the PGO for a year and a half or two years,” Lutsenko said, explaining that after this time, the PGO would pass its investigation duties onto other agencies. And it was during this time that he promised to turn the PGO into a “European-modeled institution.”
“I will do it like ‘grass breaking through the asphalt pavement,’” Lutsenko said, emphasizing that he will review previous competitions and promote “professional lawyers who have never served as prosecutors.”
“I have come from outside the system and can tell you clearly: there are many crime syndicates in this country. We have police, legislative and energy industry crime syndicates, among others, but there is only one crime syndicate which has been truly untouchable until now. We have never seen a prosecutor answering for their crimes, even in murder cases. This will stop,” Lutsenko declared.
