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The generic term for the Ukrainian police (and for police in most of post- Soviet countries) is '' Militsiya ''. HISTORY MVS in the Gongadze Case: "Eagles of Kravchenko" Ukrainian ''militsiya'' has a significant record of law violation and human rights abuse. The most notorious episode of this record is the agency's involvement in the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000. Soon after Gongadze's disappearance, recordings of Major Melnychenko were revealed. A fragment of the recorded conversations potrayed MVS Minister Kravchenko promising President Kuchma to "take care" of the oppositional journalist. According to the recordings, Kravchenko told Kuchma that he controls a special group of high-class Detective s "without any moral, and ready to do everything", able to fulfill such a task. Later, the decapitated and disfigured body of Gongadze was found in the forest, and a years-lasting investigation started. In 2005 , soon after Orange Revolution , the first results of the case appeared. Three members of the MVS detective squad were charged with abduction and murder of Gongadze. The international search warrant is issued for their chief, General Oleksiy Pukach, supposedly hiding abroad. In March 2005, ex-Minister Kravchenko, the main participant of the case, was found shut in the head (supposedly by himself). No other charges or suspicions in the case raised so far. In the recordings of Melnychenko, the hitmen group was called "orly" (literally "eagles") by the Minister. (''Orly'' here is not a proper name, but a traditional Russian Common Name for the brave and skillful soldiers). Since then, a phrase "Orly of Kravchenko" became the symbol of lawlessness and brutality in the Ukrainian law enforcement. MVS in Orange Revolution During the 2004 Election and Orange Revolution , the MVS didn't dare to crack down on the peaceful opposition protests, although media sources claim that respective orders were given to its Anti-riot units by senior commanders and leaders of the country. Minor clashes between protesters and the '' Berkut '' happened in the city of Chernihiv , but both sides agreed they were incidental and provoked by unknown forces. The opposition also accused the ''militsiya'' of involvement in Election Fraud attempts that occurred in Polling Station s. Post-election developments In February 2005 , as part of the post-election democratic changes, President Viktor Yushchenko appointed MP Yuriy Lutsenko as new Minister of Internal Affairs. Unlike his predecessors, Lutsenko is a career politician and has never served in the ''militsiya'' or other law enforcement agency. Moreover, as one of the opposition SPU leaders, Lutsenko participated in several protest campaigns and conflicts with the ''militsiya''. The new minister has already demanded resignations from those ''militsioners'' involved in Racketeering . Thus, a significant step has been made towards the establishment of Civil control over the Ukrainian police. In January 2006 , Minister Lutsenko admitted that MVS is in possession of the evidence that would allow to question and charge ex-President Leonid Kuchma in a Privatization wrongdoing case, if only MVS had the authority for starting such a case autonomously. SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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