SBU, BES, prosecutors searching Metinvest's mining companies, group urges law enforcers to stay within legal framework
Law enforcement officials are taking urgent investigative actions at the Metinvest group's mining and processing enterprises in Kryvy Rih regarding alleged tax violations, the existence of which has not been established or confirmed, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
Metinvest claimed unprecedented unreasonable pressure on the business group from law enforcement agencies: the actions of law enforcement agencies (representatives of the SBU, the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) and the Prosecutor General's Office) are accompanied by numerous violations, searches are carried out illegally, computer equipment is seized without any legal grounds, pressure is exerted on employees of the enterprise, economic activity is partially paralyzed.
"In their actions, the law enforcement agencies actually appropriated the function of the tax service, trying to bypass the tax legislation to establish additional tax liabilities for businesses," the group said in the statement.
At the same time, the Metinvest group is a conscientious Ukrainian taxpayer and a key one for the budgets of all levels. In 2021, the company transferred almost UAH 53 billion in taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels in Ukraine, which is 2.4 times more than in 2020. The company conducts business activities within legal framework, and in its relations with public authorities it is guided by the principles of openness, integrity and business practice.
Metinvest officially declared that all enterprises of the group openly and transparently interact with any regulatory authorities, including to refute false information about non-fulfillment of tax obligations. All documents requested by law enforcement agencies were provided voluntarily and continue to be provided as soon as possible.
Metinvest Group promptly and fully responds to all requests, provides documents and information, which is direct evidence of a transparent business. Metinvest maintains its public position and calls on law enforcement agencies to refrain from illegal actions and stop pressure on the group's enterprises due to allegedly "incorrectly calculated tax liabilities," which harms the business partnership between the company and Ukraine as a whole, the group said in the statement.