Ex-tax official in Zhytomyr region faces fraud charges for illegally receiving UAH 700,000 in salary

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has issued a suspicion notice for a former official from the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in the Zhytomyr region, who illegally received UAH 700,000 in salary over the past two years.

According to the SBI, the man signed a contract with the voluntary formation of the Dnipro city territorial community in June 2022, but he never reported for duty. This allowed him to be excused from his official duties while remaining in his hometown.

Over the course of two years, the tax official remained at home yet continued to receive his salary from the tax office.

The official has since been dismissed from his position.

Under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, he is now facing fraud charges for unlawfully taking possession of someone else's property on a large scale during martial law. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison.

Authorities are currently determining the appropriate preventive measure for the suspect.

The investigation will also assess the actions of officials at the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in the Zhytomyr region, who failed to verify the suspect's actual service in the volunteer formation.