Gen. Cherpak called the order illegal because it violates the procedure of appointing new police officials. He said no one had discussed with him the nomination of his deputy, Vitaly Hlukhoverya, who had not been on the list of promotions for an Uzhgorod city chief and whom he had not seen before.

V. Cherpak urged police officers to stand up and thus show their disagreement. Deputy Interior Minister Savchenko tried to avert the incident, saying Gen. Cherpak’s behavior was indiscreet. However, it did not work.

In response, Savchenko praised the police officers for obedience, saying “I can see your love for your boss” and asking the media to videotape all those present in the hall, adding he will use the footage to report to IM Lutsenko.

Savchenko then noted that such situation was sparked through politicizing the police activities, with Cherpak stressing that the stand-off occurred because politicians control the police. When asked by journalists to comment on the ongoing war between Baloha and Lutsenko, Gen. Savchenko replied, “I am not aware about what relationships they have. I do not see any tragedy in the restructuring – such changes happen every day.”

He admitted that no one had introduced the new oblast police chief deputy Hlukhoverya , adding it was a mistake not to have done it.

Asked by journalists about the reason for replacing the Uzhgorod police chief, Gen. Savchenko said it was due to contraband and narcotics. Ironically, in the opening words of his address Savchenko called the situation in Zakakrpattya as stable, saying the populace trust in the police is among the highest in Ukraine.

Calling the appointment of Hlukhoverya illegal, Gen. Cherpak said it was a humiliation to all Zakarpattya police force who will protest the appointment in court unless the interior minister annuls it himself. Gen. Cherpak also said IM Lutsenko reprimanded him at the last meeting in Kyiv, saying the Barvy company [owned by presidential secretary Viktor Baloha] was implicated in smuggling.

Finally, Gen. Savchenko reminded the police officials that any mass protests are not allowed by the service regulations and he cannot imagine Zakarpattya policemen coming in force to Kyiv to launch their protests.