"Operation Carthage": State Tax Service will provide law enforcement agencies with all information regarding employee implicated in "NABU tapes"
The State Tax Service is prepared to provide the utmost assistance to the anti-corruption authorities in their investigation into the possible involvement of a Service employee in unlawful activities. All necessary information will be provided to the law enforcement agencies within the limits of the law.
This has been reported by Censor.NET, citing a statement from the State Tax Service regarding references to one of its employees in recordings held by anti-corruption authorities.
What is the State Tax Service’s position?
"The State Tax Service takes a firm stance against any form of unlawful activity, regardless of the positions held by its staff.
"At the same time, we would like to emphasise that all the facts must be established objectively and impartially, without jumping to conclusions and strictly within the bounds of the law," the statement reads.
The State Tax Service also pointed out that public references or even suspicion do not constitute proof of guilt. Guilt can only be established by a court on the basis of proper evidence.
"The law must apply equally to everyone," the State Tax Service concluded.
It should be noted that in the audio recordings published by NABU, the head of the criminal organisation ‘Kanzler’ discussed terms of employment and remuneration with a State Tax Service employee, including payments made in envelopes.
The full audio recording is available via this link
What led up to it?
- As a reminder, earlier "Ukrainska Pravda", citing its own sources, reported that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) were allegedly carrying out searches at the offices of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Mariia Vdovichenko, and the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleh Kiper.
- On 4 September, the NABU and the SAP announced that there was likely to be ‘protection’ within the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) for a network of so-called call centres that swindle people out of their money.
- According to media reports, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have detained Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation at the General Prosecutor’s Office.
- Prior to his current role at the OGP, Kropyva served as Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, working alongside Oleg Kipper.
- Against this backdrop, NABU announced a new operation called ‘Carthage’.
- The Office of the Prosecutor General has stated that it will suspend an employee who is under investigation for possible involvement in ‘providing protection for a network’ of fraudulent call centres and the laundering of assets.
