Authorities have accused the State Tax Service of engaging in corrupt schemes — protecting tax evaders and helping fake companies.
Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) searched divisional tax offices throughout the country, as well as suspects’ homes in Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and the city of Kyiv.
The SBU said it found evidence that the suspects helped evaders minimize their tax payments and removed the fraudsters’ fictitious enterprises from the risk category.
They face charges of abuse of office.
Publication Ekonomichna Pravda reported that the home of Acting Chairman of the State Tax Service, Yevhen Oleinikov, was searched, with Oleinikov’s confirmation.
Several media outlets also reported that authorities searched the home and office of Economy Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Lyubchenko, whose resignation parliament accepted earlier on Nov. 3. Lyubchenko formerly headed the tax service.
Lyubchenko’s press secretary Anastasia Polityko told the Kyiv Post that Lyubchenko’s premises were not searched.
Kyiv Post staff writer Thaisa Semenova contributed reporting.
