A corruption scheme related to the work of customs was exposed in Kyiv. According to the investigation, the head of one of the divisions of the expert institution of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, together with several inspectors of the customs post of the Kyiv Customs, organized an illegal scheme under which entrepreneurs importing cars from the USA were forced to pay unofficial fees during customs clearance.
The officials deliberately delayed the process of registering vehicles, demanded additional documents, and then offered to “simplify the procedure” for a monetary reward. The cost of unhindered customs clearance of one car was 400 US dollars. During the investigative actions conducted under the procedural guidance of prosecutors, the fact that the suspect received 2,800 US dollars was documented.
The woman was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The issue of choosing a preventive measure and her removal from office is currently being resolved. The investigation is ongoing, law enforcement officers are identifying other participants in the criminal scheme. Procedural guidance is carried out by prosecutors of the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office with operational support from the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv Region.
As a reminder, on November 5, law enforcement officers exposed another similar scheme for illegally obtaining funds at another customs post of Kyiv Customs. According to the investigation, the officials organized a scheme to obtain illegal benefits from entrepreneurs who import used cars from the United States. The deputy head of the customs post intentionally created obstacles during customs clearance of vehicles. After that, the inspector, through intermediaries, offered to “resolve the issue” – that is, quick and unhindered customs clearance for a monetary reward.
While receiving another bribe in the amount of 2,400 US dollars, both officials were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. The issue of choosing preventive measures for them and removing them from their positions is currently being resolved.
