Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation reported the suspicion of the former acting the head of the sector of one of the customs posts of the Odessa customs office, which facilitated the smuggling activity of an entrepreneur from the sanction list of the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine. This was reported in the press service of the GBR.
During the customs clearance of a cargo of Chinese goods worth 11 million hryvnias, she artificially underestimated its value, indicating a different nomenclature of goods.
So, in January 2021, a customs employee cleared the cargo of a company whose owner is on the sanctioned list. Due to her actions, mobile phones and audio systems in cars were smuggled into Ukraine. In order to hide the transaction, the customs employee provided false information in the goods inspection report - the container allegedly contained clothes, shoes and fabrics.
In this way, the entrepreneur could avoid paying customs payments in the amount of 1,8 million hryvnias. However, the illegal scheme was exposed in time by the employees of the Central Bank of Ukraine and prevented losses to the state.
The former official is suspected of an unfinished attempt to abuse her official position with the aim of obtaining an illegal benefit for a second legal entity (Part 3 of Article 15 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Sanctions of these articles provide imprisonment for a term of up to six years.
In July, GBR investigators already informed a customs employee about the suspicion of entering knowingly false information into official documents (Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The company - the owner of the goods - was fined 2,6 million hryvnias for violating customs rules, and the seized goods were seized.
The investigation continues.
