The king is naked, but he hasn't realized it yet: how the change of tax leadership destroyed the Hetmantsev era
Kyiv • UNN
After the appointment of a new head of the State Tax Service and the dismissal of Yevhen Sokur, Danylo Hetmantsev lost control of the tax service.
The former king of backroom manipulation and pressure on business still seems to be reeling after the President of Ukraine appointed a new head of the State Tax Service (STS). This decision was a turning point, because it was because of the change in the leadership of the tax service that Danylo Hetmantsev, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, lost a key lever of influence on the business environment, UNN writes.
On December 31, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed Ruslan Kravchenko, the former head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, as head of the State Tax Service. Previously, Tatiana Kiriyenko was acting head of the State Tax Service. Currently, the tax service's website states that she is the deputy head of the State Tax Service.
No less telling was the dismissal of Hetmantsev's longtime associate and former assistant, Yevhen Sokur, who served as acting deputy head of the State Tax Service. Sokur, who was Hetmantsev's "right hand man" in the tax system, had been following his instructions for years , which were often repressive in nature against business.
Iryna Zlenko, former head of the Khmelnytsky Oblast Tax Service, told UNN in an interview that there was no management vertical in the State Tax Service of Ukraine, instead, Hetmantsev's "supervisors" worked in the agency. She added that Hetmantsev controls the entire tax service with the help of his "supervisors".
"I'm convinced that this is an organized criminal group, I'm sorry, I can't call it anything else. This group, by the way, has a very vertical organization and is headed by Danylo Hetmantsev, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy. And he manages it with the help of his assistants who are members of this gang. There is management there, but it is a criminal organization that is engaged in racketeering. And if we are talking about the Law and the Constitution, then yes, there is no vertical," explained Iryna Zlenko.
She also claims that Hetmantsev, with the help of Sokur, destroyed all the professionals in the tax service who could have refused to carry out criminal orders.
"As I have already said, Hetmantsev, not (acting head of the State Tax Service - ed.) Tetyana Kiriyenko, is in charge of the tax service. I even have video evidence that he holds conference calls. I was personally present at these meetings. And he behaved so badly with the tax officers, that I was simply offended, as a tax officer," Zlenko said.
According to her, Hetmantsev joined meetings at the State Tax Service directly from the Committee.
After the change of leadership at the State Tax Service, Sokur's dismissal was another step toward dismantling Hetmantsev's system of influence over the tax service.
Having lost his tools of intimidation, Hetmantsev is trying to boast about pseudo-indicators and is trying to create the illusion of control over the tax service. In just one day, he published 21 posts on his Telegram channel. In this way, Hetmantsev is "shouting" about how successful the work of his tax officers has been and trying to convince the president that his decision to change the leadership of the STS is premature.
However, even now, having lost control of the tax authorities, Hetmantsev is trying to intimidate entrepreneurs by boasting of dubious "successes.
"And I would not advise converts, evaders, smugglers and other devils whose schemes we, together with the State Tax Service team, have destroyed over these 3 years. We know you by name. It will be difficult to recover, even with all the desire. And people will not allow it. This also applies to a bunch of corrupt officials who have been fired over the past 3 years," Hetmantsev wrote after the change of leadership at the tax office.
A few days later, he continued to threaten businesses, including the former owners of Concord Bank. "And a special greeting to the former owners of Concord Bank. I know that you celebrate not only the New Year. But it is too early. The funds stolen from the state on gambling will have to be returned and accounted for," he wrote. This is not the first time that Hetmantsev has threatened to prosecute bankers, as he has previously said that this is a personal matter for him.
However, his attempts look pathetic - the king is already naked, but has not yet realized it.
The President's will to change has signaled to business that the days of arbitrariness are over. The dismissal of Sokur and other people associated with Hetmantsev deprives him of any remaining influence and points to the inevitable: all his "people" will be removed from key positions.
Ukrainian business will no longer be afraid. Entrepreneurs want to work in a fair environment, not be victims of repression and manipulation. Hetmantsev is still trying to cling to the remnants of his past influence, but his time has passed. Ukraine is choosing transparent rules of the game and justice that ensure the development of entrepreneurship, not the enrichment of individuals.
In addition, there is hope that sooner or later Hetmantsev and his "entourage" will be brought to justice. Experts interviewed by UNN have repeatedly pointed out that Hetmantsev abused his power .
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UNN asked the NABU whether law enforcement officers plan to open criminal proceedings based on Iryna Zlenko's statements. In response, the NABU reported that detectives would take into account the information about violations of the law by Hetmantsev and acting Deputy Head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine Yevhen Sokur, which was provided by Iryna Zlenko, during the investigation.
In addition, UNN reported that Yevhen Sokur, during the investigation into the alleged assassination attempt, 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 a request from UNN, the Agency also confirmed that they are 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, it turned out that Sokur lives at with Alina Lebedieva. According to the Youcontrol system, the girl registered as a sole proprietor on August 3, 2022. The main KVED of activity is retail sale of flowers, plants, seeds, fertilizers, pets and pet food in specialized stores. It is worth noting that Sokur was promoted to a senior position at the tax office less than three months earlier, in May 2022. In a little over a year of work during the full-scale war, Alina Lebedieva was doing so well that on her birthday, November 1, 2023, she announced the opening of a flower boutique in the heart of the capital, in the Leonardo business center.
According to Serhiy Dorotych, head of the #SaveFOP movement, Sokur's stunning success may be due to another very interesting aspect: legalization of funds through her business.
