NACP to check where acting deputy head of the State Tax Service Sokur spent UAH 2.6 million - MP
Kyiv • UNN
The NACP has launched an investigation into the lifestyle of acting Deputy Head of the State Tax Service Yevhen Sokur due to the disappearance of UAH 2.6 million from his declaration. The inspection also concerns his undeclared cohabitation with a girlfriend.
The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption will check where UAH 2.6 million disappeared from his declaration as part of the monitoring of the lifestyle of the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Yevhen Sokur. This was reported to UNN by Nina Yuzhanina, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy.
Context
Earlier, during the investigation into the alleged attempted assassination attempt, Yevhen Sokur told law enforcement officers that since 2016 he had been living with a girl named Alina in an apartment at 6-D Lobanovskoho Avenue. After a deputy appeal from Nina Yuzhanina, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, the NACP launched an inspection of Yevhen Sokur . In response to UNN's request, the Agency also confirmed that it is monitoring the official's lifestyle. Kateryna Butko, head of the Public Council at the NAPC, noted that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption is checking whether Sokur and his partner Alina lived together.
Later UNN found that in 2022 Yevhen Sokur declared income from the sale of securities in the amount of UAH 2.6 million, but these funds were not reflected in his declaration for 2023. This may indicate a violation of the law requiring notification of significant changes in property status. According to Article 52 of the Law of Ukraine "On Prevention of Corruption," the declarant is obliged to report such changes within 10 days. Nina Yuzhanina sent the relevant information to the NACP.
"In response, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption reported that "In order to establish the compliance of the standard of living of Yevhen Sokur with the property and income received by him and his family members, the National Agency, in accordance with Art. 514 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Prevention of Corruption’, monitors the lifestyle of the said subject of the declaration. The information provided by you will be taken into account during the monitoring of the lifestyle of Yevhen Sokur", - said Nina Yuzhanina to UNN.
Add
A criminal investigation is also underway against Sokur. This case was opened by the SBI on November 4, 2022, under Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, on the fact of abuse of office by Sokur, who signed an order on October 26, 2022, to revoke Ukrtatnafta's license for fuel production. Such actions of the official, according to the investigation, caused serious consequences for the company and 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 the state's defense capability. The State Bureau of Investigation informed UNN that this criminal proceeding is still under investigation.
It is interesting that the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy has not yet responded to this situation with one of the heads of the tax service. It is possible that the lack of reaction is due to the fact that before his appointment to the State Tax Service, Sokur was an assistant to the chairman of this committee, Danylo Hetmantsev , and at the same time worked for the law firm Yurimex, which is associated with Danylo Hetmantsev. Therefore, the MP, despite publicly declaring intolerance to violations of the law by tax officials, is probably making every effort to "cover up" his protege, as Sokur is called in the media.
Recall
In April 2022, Sokur failed the selection for the position of head of the Economic Analysis Department of the State Tax Service. On April 18, 2022, Maryna Baryakhtar was announced the winner of the selection, who, according to media reports, refused to take the position three days later. That is, she actually gave way to Sokur, whom the media call Hetmantsev's right-hand man at the tax office. At the time, the young official needed this position as an intermediate step to the position of acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine. After all, just two weeks later, on May 7, he received this leadership position. It is possible that there was an agreement with Barakhtyar, as she did not leave the State Tax Service to take the position of Director of the Risk Management Department.
According to interlocutors from the tax service, after Sokur was appointed to the top position, it was with his help that Hetmantsev began to control the personnel policy of the state body and appoint loyal people to positions. In particular, the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service personally travels to the regions to appoint or dismiss heads of regional tax offices.
In addition, according to media reports , Sokur took over the key most profitable and at the same time the most corrupt areas of the tax service. These include licensing, appointment of tax audits, as well as work with tax invoices and adjustment calculations.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Hetmantsev, who publicly declares zero tolerance for corruption in the tax service and violations committed by its officials, seems to turn a blind eye to the alleged crimes of his protege.
