“Suspicion is not proof of guilt.” The Tax Service reacted to the mention of its employee in the NABU and SAPO investigation
- Author:
- Svitlana Kravchenko
- Date:
The State Tax Service of Ukraine (STSU) stated that it is ready to provide maximum assistance to anti-corruption authorities in the investigation into the possible involvement of its employee in the “Carthage” case.
This is stated in a statement from the STSU press service.
The department promised to provide law enforcement with all necessary information within the framework of the law and emphasized its "principled position on any offenses, regardless of position". At the same time, it called for avoiding premature conclusions.
"Public mentions or even suspicion are not proof of guilt. Guilt can only be established by a court based on proper evidence," STSU emphasized.
The Tax Serviceʼs reaction came against the backdrop of a new operation by NABU and SAPO "Carthage" — about a scheme to "cover up" a network of fraudulent call centers led by an official of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office (PGO).
In the records published by NABU, the leader of the criminal group is called "Chancellor". He began working at the prosecutorʼs office in August 2025. The media wrote that this is probably Serhiy Kropyva, the head of the PGOʼs cyber department.
The recordings also feature “The Boss”, the former head of the Tax Service. “The Chancellor” addresses him as “Andriyovych”. Despite his dismissal, he retained influence over the Tax Service and, according to investigators, helped appoint a loyal person to the position of deputy head of the State Tax Service.
As evidenced by the NABU recordings, the official was influenced through systematic bribery and payment of "salaries in envelopes". The name of the State Tax Service official is not mentioned.
- From December 2024 to June 2025, the head of the State Tax Service was Ruslan Kravchenko, who was then appointed Prosecutor General. Since then, the acting head of the State Tax Service has been Lesya Karnaukh.
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