Detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) are conducting an investigation into the fact of tax evasion of more than a billion hryvnias by the organizer of gambling. It is clear from the context of the release that it is about the “Cosmolot” company.
BES says that the amount of damages caused to the state is confirmed, in particular, by the documents of the State Tax Service.
According to these data, the company paid players 4.5 billion hryvnias of winnings, of which it did not pay taxes on 1.1 billion hryvnias. These payments were not shown as winnings, but as refunds of funds, i.e. deposits, to individuals that were allegedly not used during gambling.
Detectives have already questioned the companyʼs employees, players and counterparties, as well as conducted investigative actions, including searches. Business accounts were also seized, with permission to pay taxes and wages from them.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. BES detectives continue to collect evidence, which will be used in the future for a forensic economic examination, which should confirm the amount of damage caused to the budget of Ukraine.
The day before, one of “Cosmolot” co-owners, the British and German businessman Arnulf Damerau, told the Financial Times that officials in the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine and the presidential administration "are trying to demand tens of millions of euros from him." According to him, he was met in Vienna in December and told that legal claims against “Cosmolot” would be removed if he agreed to transfer control of half of the company to an offshore trust.
Damerau denies any allegations and believes the claims are fabricated. According to official tax returns, the company paid €60 million in taxes last year.