Lawsuit Filed with the High Anti-Corruption Court
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has initiated legal proceedings before the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) to declare assets held by the former acting head of the Rivne Customs Office as unjustified and to seize them for the state. This action is based on a lifestyle monitoring report by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) and evidence gathered by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Assets Under Scrutiny
The assets in question include:
- A residential house in an upscale area of Rivne city, measuring 192.2 square meters, along with its land plot;
- A half-share in a vacation home on the shores of the Khrinnytske Reservoir in the Rivne region, covering 168.7 square meters, plus half of a 0.05-hectare land plot;
- An apartment in Rivne with an area of 67.6 square meters;
- A 2019 Volkswagen Touareg automobile.
According to records, the official earned over UAH 390,000 from the sale of that half-share in the vacation home and land. Notably, some of these assets are registered in the names of the official's mother and mother-in-law. The minimum estimated value of the assets is nearly UAH 10.6 million. An analysis of income and expenditures confirmed that acquiring assets worth UAH 8.9 million was impossible based on legitimate earnings.
The court has already imposed a freeze on the property. Investigators found that between 2020 and 2025, the official systematically manipulated property transactions—buying assets at below-market prices and selling them at market rates. These manipulations involved 13 movable and immovable properties, all of which the official effectively controlled.
This case highlights the importance of anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, demonstrating how state agencies are working to detect and combat corrupt practices, especially among high-ranking officials. The SAPO lawsuit could set a significant precedent for confiscating assets acquired through abuse of office, potentially strengthening public trust in anti-corruption institutions.
It is also worth noting that the asset seizure already signals the seriousness of law enforcement's intentions in this matter.
This case is part of a broader trend in the Rivne region, where anti-corruption measures are gaining momentum. For instance, recently, the High Anti-Corruption Court confiscated assets valued at nearly UAH 5.8 million from a local settlement council head. Such actions underscore the ongoing efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability among public officials. To learn more about this significant development, visit the recent confiscation of assets in Rivne.