Germany extradites former Ukrainian tax official accused of corruption and fraud
Germany has extradited a high-ranking tax official back to Ukraine, wanted for his alleged involvement in corruption schemes. The official fled Ukraine at least two years ago. As announced by the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General on Wednesday, March 5, Germany has handed over the suspect, a former deputy head of the tax administration in the Poltava region, accused of aiding in abuse of office and forgery of official documents. The official had been on the wanted list for over two years.
In December 2024, the man was detained by law enforcement agencies in the Federal Republic of Germany. Today, at the international checkpoint "Krakovets," he was handed over to investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations, who prepared the procedural documents for his arrest.
According to the investigation, the tax official, along with accomplices, allegedly assisted a Poltava business in evading taxes amounting to nearly 1.3 million hryvnias. To achieve this, he initiated an unscheduled audit of the business, resulting in an act that understated the tax obligations. Subsequently, they sent a tax notification-decision to the business, indicating a reduced amount of value-added tax and reduced penalties for non-payment. Due to these machinations, the business evaded payment of nearly 1.3 million hryvnias in taxes.
Upon learning about the criminal proceedings against him, the man left Ukraine. He was placed on the international wanted list in August 2023. Authorities are now considering detaining the individual in lieu of preventive measures.