The Verkhovna Rada plans to liquidate special units of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for the fight against corruption and organized crime, as well as remove the functions of pretrial investigation from the intelligence service by gradually transferring them to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Bill No. 3196-d on amendments to the law of Ukraine on the Security Service of Ukraine regarding the improvement of the organizational and legal framework of the SBU activities at first reading was supported by 285 MPs at a plenary session on Jan. 28.
The bill proposes to remove the SBU from the law on the organizational and legal basis for combating organized crime. Thus, the special units of the SBU for fighting corruption and organized crime will be eliminated. At the same time, the bill provides for the possibility of countering organized and transnational crime from the standpoint of countering intelligence and subversive activities to the detriment of Ukraine.
Also, the bill defines a significant limitation of the law enforcement function of the SBU. A gradual (until 2024) transfer of the pretrial investigation function to the SBI is envisaged.
The bill contains a definition of the status of the SBU, according to which it is a special-purpose state body with law enforcement functions, which ensures the state security of Ukraine. At the same time, according to the bill, the SBU is part of the security forces of the security and defense sector, subordinate to the President of Ukraine and controlled by the Verkhovna Rada.
At the same time, the bill proposes to significantly strengthen the counterintelligence and anti-terrorist activities of the SBU, as well as expand its powers to use forces and means against terrorist organizations, illegal armed and paramilitary groups, and transnational criminal groups outside Ukraine.
In addition, the bill distinguishes between counterintelligence and investigative and search activities of the Service. In this regard, the authors of the bill propose to remove counterintelligence activities as a basis for carrying out operational and technical measures from the law on investigative and search activities.
The bill also proposes to define multi-level mechanisms for a preventive response to threats to state security (a proposal, official warning, and recommendation by the SBU). In particular, the bill provides for expanding the possibility of preventive actions by the Service to counterintelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine. Appropriate changes are proposed to be introduced into the laws on state secrets, on television and radio broadcasting and in the Electoral Code of Ukraine.
In addition, the bill defines the mechanisms for countering the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign intelligence services, illegal armed groups and terrorist organizations using public organizations and political parties, as well as the media.
In addition, the bill provides for a gradual reduction in the number of staff, defines new standards of social guarantees for SBU employees and their financial support, which will be enhanced in stages. It also provides for a partial demilitarization of the SBU with the transition to special ranks.
The authors of the bill believe that this legislative act should replace the laws on the Security Service of Ukraine and on the general structure and size of the Security Service of Ukraine, which now regulates the activities of the SBU.
