400 searches and dozens of arrests, detainees are transported by helicopter to Kyiv - in Ukraine they took on the tax authorities of the Yanukovych era

Ukrainian security forces conducted more than 400 searches of tax authorities in 15 regions of Ukraine as part of a one-time anti-corruption operation; detainees will be transported by helicopter to Kyiv.

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Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoly Matios announced this at a briefing on Wednesday at Kyiv airport, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

“At the moment, more than 1700 National Police officers and about 500 military prosecutors are conducting 454 searches in 15 regions of the state. There is a simultaneous detention of a number of people who, now, due to the need to bring them to court to select a preventive measure, will be delivered by air directly here to serve the suspicion here and send them to the Pechersky District Court to consider the essence of our petitions to select a preventive measure - arrest,” - said the prosecutor.

According to Matios, 23 ex-heads of tax authorities have already been detained.
The prosecutor noted that searches at regional tax offices are being carried out in the case of tax sites associated with ex-Minister of Taxes and Duties Alexander Klimenko.

“On May 24, 2016, by decision of the Prosecutor General, the economic block of Yanukovych’s criminal organization was transferred for investigation to the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office, part of the military proceedings has already been sent to court, a pre-trial investigation has already been launched against the ex-Minister of Revenue and Duties Klimenko and he has already been brought to criminal responsibility for 3 billion illegally refunded VAT,” Matios recalled.

“Now an operation is taking place against the first leaders and their deputies of all 15 regional departments of the Ministry of Revenue and Duties at that time, the so-called state tax administrations, which were directly involved in organizing the functioning of the so-called tax platforms, as a result of which the state received less...97 billion. UAH,” he explained.

Matios informed that helicopters with detainees from the east and south of the country are expected to arrive, after which they will be delivered to the Prosecutor General's Office for notification of suspicion.

“We have found an algorithm for bringing to justice those who organized and profited from this. The real economy suffered from this,” he said.

He stressed that this is only the “first wave of arrests.”

“As part of the criminal investigation, we envisage bringing to justice employees of the prosecutor’s office, employees of the Security Service and employees of the state tax administration. The state was robbed of such billions of hryvnias as a result of the total enrichment of people who were still quietly in Ukraine,” said the chief military prosecutor.

According to Matios, some of the people who are detained in Kyiv are taken to the Pechersky District Court to consider the issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of arrest, some of the defendants are served with suspicion.

“Some of the people are being delivered now - this is a special top - Dnepr, Kharkov, Odessa, whom we are really waiting for - these are people who are not in power now, but... Now the helicopter will deliver the current head of the Security Service, the same “supervisor” of all business, Kurchenko, Lieutenant General Denisyuk,” he added.

Among those detained is the ex-head of the Luhansk regional tax office and the ex-governor of the Luhansk region Valentin Antipov. Reportedly, $3,8 million was seized from him during the search.

Recall as “PolitNavigator” already reported, Against the backdrop of these demonstrative prosecutions of representatives of the former government, representatives of the international organization Transparency International stated that an atmosphere of impunity regarding corruption reigns in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian government has demonstrated “very little results” in the fight against corruption and “does not realize how urgent it should be” .