Former top tax official returns UAH 130 million to the state after arrest

A former high-ranking official of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, who received two criminal cases in September, reimbursed the state for more than UAH 130 million in damages during the pre-trial investigation. This was reported by and the Office of the Prosecutor General.

"All funds have already been transferred to the accounts of the State Treasury Service of Ukraine. The losses incurred by the state have been fully compensated," the statement reads.

on September 5, it became known that the SBU detained the former deputy head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine. The announcement of the detention was illustrated by a spattered photo of Yevhen Bambizov, who worked at the SFS in 2018-2019 and was in charge of the tax department.

According to the investigation, the suspect may be involved in the creation of about 100 shell companies: 14 importers and more than 80 transit companies. Most of them existed only on paper and were used for financial fraud in the interests of clients.

Between July 2024 and May 2025 alone, one of the controlled companies received UAH 127 million for fictitious supplies, which led to a UAH 21 million VAT understatement . In general, the case involves the possible laundering of more than UAH 1.5 billion during 2023-2025.

on September 19, while he was already in the pre-trial detention center, , the suspect was served a second suspicion - of abuse of office, which caused losses to the state budget of 108 million UAH .

According to the investigation, 10 years ago, an official who at that time held a senior position in the Central Office for Large Taxpayers ordered to delay VAT refunds to a private enterprise, citing the need for additional checks.

The company had legal grounds to receive a refund and, after a delay in the VAT refund for February-April 2015, went to court.

The court upheld the claim and recovered penalties from the state for the period from May 2015 to March 2021.