Acting Deputy Head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine Yevhen Sokur illegally revoked Ukrtatnafta's license at the request of the people who appointed him to the post. However, he should still be prosecuted for obstructing the supply of fuel materials to the army. This opinion was expressed by human rights activist Eduard Bagirov in an exclusive commentary to UNN.
Earlier, UNN reported that criminal proceedings were opened on November 4, 2022 against the protégé and right-hand man of the Chairman of the Tax Committee of the Rada Danylo Hetmantsev - Acting Deputy Head of the State Tax Service Yevhen Sokur under Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The case was opened on the fact of abuse of power by Sokur, who on October 26, 2022, issued an order to revoke the license of PJSC Ukrtatnafta for the production of fuel. His actions allegedly caused severe consequences for the company, as well as for the state in the form of the inability to fulfill the mobilization tasks of the Ministry of Defense for the production and supply of petroleum products for the needs of defense and defense capability of the state.
The Prosecutor General's Office told UNN that the Main Investigation Department of the State Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the case.
As for Sokur, I would say that the Ukrainian cherry on top of the Japanese cherry, the major of the tax service, fell victim to an oligarchic game, he fulfilled the requests of the people who appointed him to this position. And he certainly made decisions as an official. I agree with the arguments of the investigating authorities, and perhaps the court will prove the intent to violate the interests of the state
He emphasized that Ukrtatnafta is a strategically important enterprise, as it produces and refines oil, and the revocation of the license will completely paralyze the activities of this company, which is also part of the supply chain of fuel materials for the needs of the army and the Ministry of Defense.
Bagirov is convinced that Sokur continues to work in his position because a political decision was made regarding him.
"Everyone is waiting for the media to lose interest in this case and for him to be able to continue his work in six months or so. Because the uncle who asked for him was promised that everything would be fine. But it happened as it happened - there is a criminal case, there is a resonance, there are large losses for the state and someone needs to be held accountable," the human rights activist noted.
According to Bagirov, the situation with Sokur is understandable on the one hand, and dramatic on the other, because "he fulfilled the requests and did not even receive money."
"But a person holds a high public office and when making decisions, according to the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code, if this decision has led to the loss of the state or any citizen, this official should be punished administratively (with a fine - ed.), and if the losses are large, then it is criminal liability with imprisonment," Bagirov said, adding that both administrative and criminal proceedings were initiated in Sokur's case.
The human rights activist is convinced that someone in high places has come to Sokur's defense and is lobbying for the investigation against Sokur to go differently than it should according to the law.
Add
The case against Yevhen Sokur was opened because of two identical orders dated October 26, 2022, which he issued to revoke the license of PJSC Ukrtatnafta. The documents had an identical number and date, but the grounds for license revocation were different. In one, the company allegedly refused to allow the tax authorities to conduct an audit without legal grounds. The second was the failure to pay the next license fee within 30 days of the license suspension. At the same time, only one Sokur's order related to a tax audit is published on the tax authority's website.
The company appealed Sokur's decision in court. The courts of first, appellate and cassation instances recognized that the tax audit was conducted in violation of the law and that Ukrtatnafta had every right to prevent the STS representatives from entering its territory. As a result, the orders of the State Tax Service of Ukraine to revoke Ukrtatnafta's license for fuel production, valid from 01.07.2019 to 01.07.2024, were also declared illegal. The courts ordered the STS to cancel them.
MPs and lawyers interviewed by UNN, emphasize that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine should remove Sokur from office, because, given his position, he can influence the course of the investigation.
Recall
After law enforcement opened criminal proceedings against Sokur, he was allegedly assassinated on August 17, 2023. Earlier, we told you that there are many questions about the "assassination attempt" case, and it seems that it was not an order, but rather a staging. After all, the information that law enforcement officers prevented an assassination attempt on the acting deputy head of the tax service diverted public attention from the criminal case against him.