Corruption scandal in Sumy Tax Office: Olenych’s detention went without response from the leadership

Corruption scandal in Sumy Tax Office: Olenych’s detention went without response from the leadership

Almost a week has passed since the detention of the head of the excise department of the State Tax Service in the Sumy region, Mykola Olenych, and his intermediary, who demanded $4,500 for granting a license. However, the response of the State Tax Service leadership to this corruption case is impressively absent. Such actions are reminiscent of the times of Tetyana Kiriyienko when shameful cases of corruption were hushed up, and subordinate leaders were not held accountable for the identified violations.

This is reported by VIY.

Such non-public behavior may indicate the possible involvement of the new "vertical" of tax officials in old corruption schemes. Nevertheless, the law requires a clear and lawful response to such crimes, to avoid the possibility of corrupt officials returning to service in the future. Given the seriousness of the violation, the dismissal of Mykola Olenych for breach of oath is the minimum measure of responsibility.

An interesting example is another story from the tax service of the Sumy region, which has already gained wide publicity. In 2019, the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the SSU documented the criminal activities of the head of the department of the State Fiscal Service of Sumshchyna, Svitlana Koreneva. She was detained for demanding 90,000 hryvnias to reduce tax assessments. Despite the obviousness of the crime, Koreneva was not only unpunished but also allowed to continue working in the tax service, and her case remained without proper attention.

Such corporate culture, on the principle of "not leaving our own behind," gives reason to believe that the situation with Mykola Olenych may develop along a similar scenario. Corruption gains can help ensure the process of avoiding responsibility, and the silence of the tax service only confirms that the system continues to protect its people, even when it contradicts the law.