Above Photo: Anti-Corruption Committee! Recently John L. Kachelman III, Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama met in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine with a group of lawyers to discuss anti-corruption measures that would expose those in government positions that pervert the Rule of Law in Ukraine for personal enrichment (bribes).
Ukraine has a notorious legacy of corruption—political, customs, law enforcement, military, economic, religious, commercial, and humanitarian aid. You name the category and you will soon find corruption has poisoned its sphere. Consequently, there is a continual effort to address and rid the nation of this moral cancer. This campaign against corruption is announced even while I have been in Ukraine. There has been a special emphasis that Customs is undergoing scrutiny to rid it of corrupt members.
It is a real-life “Hydra” and when one area is addressed then two more pop up! And there is no Hercules with a golden sword.
The Anti-Corruption forces are coming together. I hear the military and volunteer battalions are totally exasperated with the corruption and ineptness of those who are to be governing and guiding the polices. Hospitals and clinics in locations other than in Kyiv are exasperated because they are denied basic supplies for healthcare. The schools and orphanages are required to care of children on less than fifty-cents per day. I have received communication from a number of Regional Governors and Vice-Governors who also express total helplessness. While he was in Ivano-Frankivsk my son met with a group of lawyers who are setting up an international anti-corruption committee and will begin publicizing the immorality that corrupt government officials and ministries flagrantly flaunt.
Perhaps the union of the various segments will provide the “Herculean” strength necessary to slay the political “Hydra”?
A point of illustration—while a number of the above-mentioned situations may be beyond my personal experience, I can speak from first-hand experience on humanitarian aid that the churches of Christ have sent into Ukraine.
The situation with receiving approvals has become almost impossible. Over the last 2-years my shipments have encountered more and more opposition. This has cost us in dollars because the delays resulted in extra storage (and the cost was legally NOT mine but I was forced to pay it). I have had a Consignee that was investigated by every agency and put through all sorts of bureaucratic torture only to be told at the end that no problem was found.
In this year our shipments have encountered the most imbecilic questions. These silly questions have NOTHING to do with the shipment’s purpose and distribution. I have heard from three sources that IF we were to pay $5,000 to a certain person then all of these questions would be by-passed—Hydra just grew two more heads!
As some containers were awaiting approval from the Ministry of Social Policy I received this email: “Hello John, This is getting really ridiculous and I no longer know how to answer some questions.
Tatyana may translate this to you because it is shameful to me that this is even asked.”
Here are some of the foolish, absurd, nonsensical, and inane questions:
- Give your statistics on your work in Ukraine—how many containers have you sent? How many containers have you returned to USA? HOW can such be answered? The Ministry of Social Policy is droning in paperwork and has access to these answers. And they think we will spend $6,000 to ship a container to Ukraine and then spend another $6,000 to ship it back?
- Do American donor groups registered in the USA have their stamps? Does John Kachelman have right to sign docs on behalf of legal entity and use his stamp? This refers to the fact that in previous times a round stamp was required for documents. BUT NOW in the modern technological era the use of these stamps is fading—many transactions do not require stamps at all. This is equal with asking, “When your letter was taken from the Dictaphone was it transcribed by a professional typist?”
- And this one ignites a seething anger…“Provide from donor detailed information concerning brands, manufacturer, sizes, gender, and age for new items” (shorts, t-shirts, towels). This is asked by an “intelligent” committee that is to be working for the best interests of the nation’s vulnerable? Will someone go to the nearest store and look at the towels and tell me for what “Age” that towel is made? The Ministry of Social Policy evidentially NEVER visits the schools and orphanages and children’s shelters where our clothes are distributed OR they would be aware that sizes vary, a t-shirt is worn by all genders. Many of the tags on donated clothing are cut off so how can we identify the manufacturer?
- “Does John Kachelman really exist or is this name used to bring in contraband?” I appeared before the Ministry committee yesterday and affirmed (not as forcefully or as physically as I would have liked) that I DO exist. I have been in Ukraine since 1994. I have shipped to date 305 containers into Ukraine and 300 have been approved by the committee that questions my existence!
Again another point, I received this comment from an email several weeks ago: “Please forgive my frustration with this, new people in the ministry are waiting for a bribe, and no one can afford to pay the amount they are asking for. To give you an idea they asked for 5k to bypass this issue from one of Kiev’s organization.”
Another communication: “I am 100% positive, they are looking for a bribe, that is why they are continuing to keep asking for stupid things.”
Another donor reported that they had a container waiting for Ministry of Social Policy approval. They asked the Ministry about this delayed approval. The Ministry said it would provide the approval when the donor could give that date of Customs clearance—BUT you cannot gain Customs clearance without the Ministry’s approval of the container! This absurd scenario has the donor and consignee acting like a poor dog who goes around in circles chasing its tail!
But I understand that such silly questions could be averted by paying $5,000…
On this trip I have talked with a consignee that has been waiting for approval by the Ministry. As we talked the consignee said, “It is all bureaucrats who are looking for a bribe. They will always find a comma in the wrong place until a bribe is paid and then after the bribe all is OK.”
In a meeting with a Regional Vice-Governor I discussed the problem with the Ministry of Social Policy. I used blunt terms to describe the situation. In response to my words I was told, “You are not the only one telling me this. I am hearing of Ministry of Social Policy problems from many who have had problems invented against them.”
Look again at the stupid questions being asked to stall approvals (and realize the above list is only a very small amount). These questions are coming from a committee with intelligent people. WHY are such questions being asked? For what purpose would one be sent “chasing his tail”? What is to be gained by such questions being answered only to have approvals denied and more silly questions asked? The answer seems to be $5,000.00.
On Wednesday 17 October 2018 I met with the Ministry of Social Policy regarding these issues. I had a lengthy list of talking points regarding the shameful way that the Ministry of Social Policy is currently conducting matters. Below are the names of those on the committee that are responsible for the “tail-chasing” silly questions. I do not believe all are supportive. I do not believe that all are callous and insensitive. BUT they are all in the committee and therefore are ALL in agreement with what is sent out.
ІВАНКЕВИЧ Віктор Вікторович
ЧЕРНЕЦЬКА Олена Іванівна
ГДАНСЬКА Ірина Валеріївна
БЄЛЬКОВА Ольга Валентинівна
ЛУБІНЕЦЬ Дмитро Валерійович
СТОЛПАКОВ Антон Володимирович
СЕННІКОВ Володимир Анатолійович
КОВАЛЬЧУК Андрій Миколайович
РАЗУМЦЕВА Ганна Іванівна
КОМАРОВ Михайло Петрович
МАТІЙЧУК Олександр Миколайович
ЧЕРНЯХОВСЬКА Поліна Мусіївна
СТЕЛЬМАХ Олексій Олексійович
КРАЙНЯКОВИЧ Наталія Семенівна
ПЕРВАК Сергій Володимирович
Continue to praying for this mission!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
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