'It's a joke': Odessa's new head of customs is 26-year-old YouTube star with no experience

Yulia Marushevska takes on one of Europe's toughest jobs. Photo / Supplied

The new head of customs at one of Europe's most notoriously corrupt ports is a 26-year-old YouTube star with no experience.

Yulia Marushevska became a poster girl for last year's Ukrainian revolution after starring in a video of the street protests that ended the presidency of Viktor Yanukovich.

She is the protege of Odessa's governor, Mikheil Saakashvili, who as the former president of Georgia frequently clashed with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He is driving an anti-corruption crusade in Odessa, a big part of which is taking on the criminality rife in the Black Sea city's extremely lucrative port.

However, the appointment of Ms Marushevska to the job customs chief has opened him up to accusations of ineptitude and corruption.

Ms Marushevska has an extensive education from Kiev university and Stanford in the United States, but virtually no experience in enforcement or maritime law. Her highest qualification is an arts degree.

Ukraine's President, Petro Poroshenko, has defended the appointment, but his statement almost seemed to be apologetic: "This is a modest, but very beautiful, efficient and talented woman, despite the fact that she has no training in customs.

"But she does have very good organisational skills."

Mr Saakashvili brushed aside citicisms, saying her inexperience was "not a problem, but an advantage". He accused previous customs chiefs of being "professional extortionists".

Ms Marushevska herself added: "My purpose is purely political and does not require special training and experience in this field."

However, their statements have not won over critics. One, an agent with one of Ukraine's big shipping firms, told The Independent: "She may be young and pretty, but the customs regime there needs more than a PR facelift."

An NGO added: "Throwing her into that job is either a joke made in the face of the people, or a very calculated plan to establish control over the port authority. Time will tell."