Scandal in the State Tax Service: acting deputy head suspected of dishonesty and false declarations

The acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine (STS), Yevhen Sokur, is suspected of serious violations that call into question his integrity and suitability for his position. In particular, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) is conducting an investigation into the declaration of allegedly false information by one of the country's top tax officials, UNN reports.

Earlier UNN reported that the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service, Yevhen Sokur, had allegedly entered false information in his 2023 declaration.  In particular, he did not indicate in the document the information about his partner. During the investigation into the alleged assassination attempt, Sokur himself told law enforcement officers that since 2016 he had been living with a girl named Alina in an apartment at 6-D Lobanovskoho Avenue. Following a deputy appeal by Nina Yuzhanina, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, the NACP launched an inspection of Yevhen Sokur. Kateryna Butko, head of the NAPC's Public Council, noted that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption is checking whether Sokur and his live-in girlfriend, Alina, had a common life.

Dmytro Kasyanenko, an attorney at Kasyanenko & Partners, explained that officials must indicate in the declaration not only family members - spouse and children - but also their cohabitants.

The Law of Ukraine "On Prevention of Corruption" requires public officials to declare not only their personal property and income, but also the property and income of their family members, which also includes persons who live together, have a common life and have mutual rights and obligations (Article 1 of the Law). If Yevhen Sokur has been living with his cohabitant since 2016, but did not indicate this information in his declarations, this may be a violation of the financial control legislation,

Lawyers interviewed by UNN , notethat if discrepancies between Sokur's lifestyle and the declared data are found, he may face administrative and even criminal liability.

In particular, if false information is found in Sokur's declaration in the amount of 100 to 500 subsistence minimums (about UAH 268,400 to UAH 1,342,000 for 2024), a fine of UAH 17,000 to UAH 42,500 is provided.

If the false information in the declaration relates to the amount of more than 500 subsistence minimums (about UAH 1,342,000), this is subject to criminal liability under Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - submission of knowingly false information in the declaration. The sanction of this article provides for a fine of UAH 42,500 to 51,000, or restraint of liberty for up to 2 years, or imprisonment for up to 2 years with disqualification to hold certain positions for up to 3 years.

Another important reason for doubting the integrity of one of Ukraine's top tax officials is the fact that Sokur, according to media reports, used the so-called zero declaration mechanism, which was introduced to legalize previously undeclared assets. This mechanism allowed him to legalize UAH 2.5 million, the origin of which he could not explain. The lack of a transparent explanation of the source of these funds raises even more suspicions about their legitimate origin.

The criminal proceedingsopened by the State Bureau of Investigation on November 4, 2022 under Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official authority by a law enforcement officer, which led to serious consequences) do not add to the official's integrity.

It was about the alleged abuse of power by the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Yevhen Sokur, who on October 26, 2022, issued an order to revoke the license of PJSC Ukrtatnafta for the production of fuel. According to the investigation, Sokur's actions 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 fate of this criminal proceeding is currently unknown.

Dishonesty and questionable actions on the part of a high-level official in charge of one of the key state institutions can undermine public confidence in the tax system as a whole. If the allegations of abuse are confirmed, Yevhen Sokur has no right to remain in a position that requires the highest standards of ethics and transparency, and his continued tenure will pose a threat to the image and functioning of the STS.

Recall

Earlier, UNN reported that the assassination attempt on the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Yevhen Sokur, raises many questions about its authenticity. It could have been staged to divert attention from the criminal proceedings against Sokur for abuse of office.