The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) reported that monitoring of the lifestyle of the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine (STS) Yevheniy Sokur is still ongoing. The inspection was initiated after possible violations were identified in his 2023 declaration and a number of other scandalous circumstances.
One of the key aspects of the investigation is the alleged concealment of data about his roommate. It is known that Sokur has been living with a girl named Alina since 2016, but the official did not mention her in his declarations. This raised questions about the reliability of his declarations, which are being checked after the appeal of MP Nina Yuzhanina.
Sokur also did not declare funds from the sale of securities in the amount of UAH 2.6 million received in 2022. According to the legislation, the official was supposed to report significant changes in his property status, which was not done.
In addition, Sokur is a defendant in a case opened by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) in November 2022. He is accused of abuse of power in revoking the license of PJSC Ukrtatnafta to produce fuel. According to the investigation, this decision had serious consequences for the implementation of the mobilization tasks of the Ministry of Defense, which jeopardized the defense capability of the state.
The official is linked to Danylo Hetmantsev, the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy. Before his appointment to the State Tax Service, Sokur was his assistant and worked at a law firm associated with Hetmantsev.
After assuming the leadership position, Sokur allegedly became a key figure in personnel appointments at the State Tax Service, promoting individuals loyal to Hetmantsev. In particular, he personally visits the regions to appoint or dismiss local heads of tax authorities.
The media also claim that Sokur oversees the most corrupt areas of the tax department's work, such as licensing, tax audits, and adjustment calculations.
This situation illustrates the likely impunity of certain officials, despite claims of fighting corruption. The investigation against Sokur could become a litmus test for assessing actual anti-corruption efforts.
The question of whether the NACP will be able to complete the investigation and draw conclusions without political influence remains open. In the meantime, the public and anti-corruption activists are closely monitoring the course of events.
