The new customs of Nefyodov: plans failed, and old "schemers" were hired

The new customs of Nefyodov: plans failed, and old "schemers" were hired

At the new customs, which its head Maksym Nefyodov promised so loudly to all taxpayers, all the same old staff work. Customs officers have criminal cases for bribes and abuse of power in their service records. They managed to violate state secrets, and some of them were held liable 13-17 times for disciplinary offenses!

But such facts in the biographies of subordinates do not seem to worry the head of customs; on the contrary, he believes in their experience. Perhaps it is precisely such a rich experience of the old staff that prevents customs from fulfilling the plan and transferring the necessary amounts to the budget?

New Customs – on start

As we all know, on December 8th, a new State Customs Service of Ukraine officially started to work in Ukraine. According to its head Maksym Nefyodov, "New customs is practically a new body launched from scratch, which will consist of four key elements: modern European infrastructure, consistent and understandable rules for everyone, fast and convenient service, and a new personnel policy".

Maksym Nefyodov

At the same time, the first months of the new state’s body operation under the leadership of new staff showed that customs is unable to meet its target for collections, which are so much needed now for the state budget.

In January, customs fulfilled the state budget replenishment plan by 69.6%. According to information from the Open Data Portal, with a plan of 26.03 billion UAH, 18.13 billion UAH was actually collected within the month.

Earlier, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, who is also Maksym Nefyodov’s superior, stated that the State Customs Service would not be able to meet the revenue plan in February 2020, with the known reason being the strengthening of the hryvnia.

However, there are other circumstances that could have influenced such a situation. For example, personnel.

As is known, the most valuable resource of any state organ is highly professional, honest, and law-abiding staff.

Nefyodov boasted that he did not allow half a thousand dubious staff members into customs. And promised to continue getting rid of the old staff.

Nefyodov also reported on the next stage in updating the customs service. In 2020, in cooperation with the American project and an international organization, a re-certification of customs officers will take place, assessing their integrity and professional abilities.

According to the head of the State Customs Service, those who fail re-certification will be dismissed, but those who receive positive scores can count on significantly higher salaries than now.

However, it is worth looking at who actually works at customs now. And immediately very interesting facts emerge: against new employees of the updated customs, law enforcement officers are only managing to open cases for bribes.

The most distinguished in the state approach to selecting highly professional and law-abiding staff is the Galician customs.

Earned on Doblu and "Euroblyakhs"

For example, Acting Head of the “Rava-Ruska” Customs Post Volodymyr Bosyi was held to disciplinary responsibility more than 10 times, was dismissed from the authorities twice, but returned like a phoenix. He is currently on trial for illegally passing 1500 kilograms of Doblu cheese through customs.

Dilova Stolytsia

Acting Head of the “Mostyska” Customs Post Viktor Hladun was held to disciplinary responsibility 11 times during his tenure at customs. Similarly, his colleague, Acting Head of the “Lviv Airport” Customs Post Roman Holdak was also held responsible. He was even dismissed for violating the civil servant’s oath but returned again.

Vasyl Buchynskyi – Acting Head of "Uhryniv" Customs Post, is involved in the legendary “Titanic” case. He allowed "euroblekhs" into the territory of Ukraine. He was frequently held to disciplinary responsibility.

The acting head of Shift No. 2 at “Uhryniv” Customs Post, Volodymyr Karpus, received a criminal case for bribery – he was detained by the SBU. He was found with 180 thousand hryvnias. Previously, he was held to disciplinary responsibility four times.

The head of the “Horodok” Customs Post, Ostap Chaplyk, was held to disciplinary responsibility 13 times for poor work organization.

The acting head of Shift No. 4 at “Uhryniv” Customs Post, Ivan Shevchyk was held to disciplinary responsibility 17 times. Currently, the Lviv SBI, based on SSU materials, has opened proceedings against him for allowing a bus with forbidden premixes.

A criminal case is also opened against the acting head of the “Lviv-North” Customs Post, Oleh Letytskyi. In the Lviv region police, proceedings are opened on the fact of receiving $150 for passing “euroblekhs”.

Taking bribes and working intoxicated

Dariy Mekhailyetskyi, Head of Department No. 3 at the “Smilnytsya” Customs Post, is a subject of a criminal investigation regarding illegal enrichment.

Ivan Mytsak was appointed from the position of an ordinary inspector to the full responsibilities of the Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Smuggling and Violations of Customs Rules. During his work, he was held to disciplinary responsibility seven times and was even dismissed but returned again.

Oleh Lev was also held to disciplinary responsibility six times. He received reprimands, warnings, and was punished for self-removal from discharge of official duties and for insufficient performance. Currently, Oleh Lev heads the Department of Combating Smuggling and Violations of Customs Rules at Galician customs.

Anatoliy Skakun, Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Smuggling and Violations of Customs Rules, is involved in a high-profile case regarding bribe extortion for reappointment to the new customs structure during the reorganization of the Lviv customs in 2016. According to investigation materials, Skakun and his associates supposedly took $500 from an employee. He was also held to disciplinary responsibility 11 times.

The state inspector of the Department for Combating Smuggling and Violation of Customs Rules, Yaroslav Pelekh, is involved in a bribery case of 2000 hryvnias; the case is in court.

Volodymyr Yambor has been held to disciplinary responsibility 15 times, including for being intoxicated at work while being the head of Department No. 1 at "Smilnytsya" Customs Post.

Bohdan Firko – Senior Inspector of the Department for Combating Smuggling of Drugs and Weapons, was held to disciplinary responsibility twice. He was suspended from office in August 2018 as an organizer of a scheme for illegal cargo passing at "Rava-Ruska" Customs Post without customs inspection. It’s said he allegedly photographed “empty vans” which were being reloaded nearby. The fee from each van was 5 thousand hryvnias.

Oleh Medved was transferred to the position of the head of the "Hrushev" Customs Post, although at that time he was already a subject of a criminal proceeding for the embezzlement of property acquired with EU funds, with damages totaling 500 thousand hryvnias.

Kostyantyn Siroshtan was transferred to the Galician customs from a position of clerk at the "Uhryniv" Customs Post. He worked as a clerk because in May 2019 he was detained by SSU officers from the Lviv region with 50 thousand hryvnias after his shift. He was also a subject of a case for receiving bribes by a group of people. Also, during his work, Sirostan was held to disciplinary responsibility five times.

Stepan Bilash was transferred to Galician customs as an inspector of the Department for Control over Goods Movement. At transfer, he was already a participant in a criminal proceeding under the article for receiving a bribe for the fact of allowing vans with high-value goods into customs territory. Bilash is also one of the subjects in a proceeding under part 2 of article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power and official position). The case concerns damage inflicted on Ukraine amounting to 6 million hryvnias during the clearance of cars by the firm "Lyube Avto". Bilash was also held to disciplinary responsibility seven times.

Nataliya Bilyk was transferred to Galician customs as an inspector of “Krakovets” post. Bilyk is involved in a criminal proceeding related to the passing of 24 kg of gold worth 10 million hryvnias through customs at Lviv Airport. Two of Bilyk’s colleagues, who were also present during the passing of the gold, have been dismissed from the authorities. Bilyk herself has previously been held to disciplinary responsibility five times.

Yaroslav Boyko was transferred to Galician customs from the "Shehyni" Customs Post. He is called one of the organizers of smuggling schemes at this checkpoint. He was also held to disciplinary responsibility 12 times.

Dismissed, checked, punished

Andriy Kaban, Andriy Shtokhman, Ihor Bazylyak, Vladyslav Synytskyi, Andriy Malynovskyi, Taras Kuzmyak, Vasyl Vashchyshyn ended up at Galician customs.

Kaban is now the head of Department No. 1 at "Hrushev" post. He was held to disciplinary responsibility 16 times and was dismissed twice. Shtokhman heads Department No. 2 of the same post and has previously been held to disciplinary responsibility 12 times.

Bazylyak heads Department No. 3 at "Hrushev", and three times based on service investigations, he had disciplinary and material penalties.

Similar service records belong to Synytskyi, who heads Department No. 4 at "Krakovets" post. He was held to disciplinary responsibility four times, underwent service checks and investigations, and was held to material responsibility. Malynovskyi is a deputy to Synytskyi. He also was held to disciplinary responsibility four times, was checked through service investigations, and was also financially punished.

An interesting service record also belongs to Kuzmyak, who now heads Department No. 2 at “Rava-Ruska” customs. Like Vashchyshyn, who heads Department No. 4 at “Rava-Ruska.” They underwent service checks, investigations, and were held to material and disciplinary responsibility.

In this article, we only analyzed the staff of one Galician customs, but there are still specific facts of appointing customs officers with criminal backgrounds, and in the next article, we will continue to closely examine the staff of the updated customs of Mr. Nefyodov.

To be continued...