Detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) of Ukraine reported suspicions to the former acting first deputy board chairman of PJSC Ukrtatnafta (Kremenchuk Oil Refinery) for evading UAH 605.9 million in excise tax.

"The official is suspected of deliberate tax evasion causing an especially significant loss. He has to pay a bail of almost UAH 200 million," the BES said.

Investigators established that in January 2022, the enterprise officials declared excise tax for payment by the oil refinery with a payment deadline of March 2, 2022. However, they deliberately did not transfer UAH 605.9 million in tax to the state budget.

At that time, Ruslan Liapka was the acting first deputy board chairman of Ukrtatnafta.

"At present, authorized searches are ongoing at the addresses of storage of fuels and lubricants of the oil refinery, other episodes of criminal activity of officials of this and other enterprises of the oil refining industry are being investigated. BES is also investigating the facts of misappropriation and waste of fuels and lubricants with an estimated cost of UAH 40 billion by the former management of the country's two largest oil enterprises Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta," the BES said.

Pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings is carried out by BES detectives under the procedural guidance of prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office.

As reported, on Wednesday the Security Service of Ukraine, together with the Bureau of Economic Security, conducted a series of searches as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of UAH 40 billion by former management of PJSC Ukrnafta and PJSC Ukrtatnafta.

In particular, the search was carried out at the home of the shareholder of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta before their withdrawal into the ownership of the state, Ihor Kolomoisky.