Case description
The NABU suspects former head of the SFS (State Fiscal Service of Ukraine) Roman Nasirov of receiving UAH 722 million in bribes for VAT refunds to agricultural companies of businessman Oleh Bakhmatiuk.
Investigators believe that Roman Nasirov, as head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, accepted a USD 5.5 million bribe from Bakhmatiuk, owner of Ukrlandfarming, for a refund of more than UAH 540 million in VAT. The former official is also accused of receiving more than EUR 21 million in exchange for refunding almost UAH 2.7 billion in VAT between February 2015 and August 2016.
For these actions, the former head of the SFS would charge about 20% of the VAT refund. The owner of the agricultural holding transferred the bribes to the accounts of companies controlled by Nasirov or his close associates, who had accounts in foreign companies. According to law enforcement agencies, Nasirov would pay compensation to Bakhmatiuk’s companies on a priority basis, while he carried out no such actions in relation to other companies.
The defendants in this case are both Nasirov himself and his assistant Oleksandr Kostenko, who is currently in the United States of America hiding from justice. The case file on Oleh Bakhmatiuk was separated into individual proceedings.
Nasirov is charged under Article 368, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Bakhmatiuk is charged under Article 369, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Nasirov is currently in custody, and his bail has been reduced to UAH 70 million for the sixth time. The initial bail amount was UAH 523 million. In addition to this case, he has also appeared in the “gas scheme” of former MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko. There is no verdict yet in either case.
