President Victor Yushchenko chaired a meeting of National Security and Defense Council.
Agenda of the meeting included two subjects:
• fighting smuggling
• fighting corruption
Speaking at the event President Yushchenko criticized achievements in fighting corruption and smuggling.
According to him despite State Customs Service and Security Service have succeeded in cutting some smuggling channels, the system of illegal customs clearance itself was not destroyed.
Of special concerns, in President's words, are large number of cases of collusion of law enforcement bodies and smugglers. Here he mentioned corruption in courts with judges purposely delaying investigation of smuggling cases and illegally clear some businesses of any customs or other payments.
President also criticized prosecutor's offices and Security Service for inappropriate reaction to such cases.
He emphasized that Security Service should be coordinator in fighting smuggling and expressed readiness to listen to all suggestions by acting Security Service Head on reforming the institution so it could carry out its functions properly.
