The scheme for tax evasion amounting to tens of millions of hryvnias was organized by the top management of a Cherkasy enterprise – one of the largest producers of mineral fertilizers in Ukraine. The beneficial owner of the company is a well-known Ukrainian businessman under sanctions.

The pre-trial investigation established that the enterprise did not declare and did not pay profit tax to the state budget. Facts of the company conducting unlawful price manipulations during foreign economic operations have been documented. When exporting products to a Swiss company, its price was artificially lowered. At the same time, the price of natural gas, which was imported through a Cypriot company, was inflated.

The tax audit report and the conclusion of the forensic economic examination confirmed the damages caused to the state amounting to over 43 million hryvnias.

As part of the investigation, these funds have been fully returned to the state budget.

Currently, prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General have sent an indictment to the court regarding the chief accountant of the enterprise. The actions of the official have been qualified as intentional tax evasion in particularly large amounts and official forgery committed by a prior group of individuals (Part 3 of Article 212, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings was conducted by the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Cherkasy region.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.