NACP uncovers illegal enrichment of Zakarpattia customs officer
The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP), based on materials from the State Bureau of Investigation, found signs of illegal enrichment in the amount of over 23 million hryvnias in the head of one of the customs posts of the Transcarpathian Customs, Vasyl Pupena.
Property actually used by the official and his family members is registered in the name of relatives:
· a land plot in Uzhhorod with an area of 1.6 thousand m²;
· a residential building with an area of 330 m² worth over 19 million UAH;
· a 2024 SKODA KODIAQ car worth over UAH 1.9 million.
According to the NACP, the land plot was purchased by the customs officer's mother for UAH 40.1 thousand in 2022, although its market value was about UAH 1.8 million. Already in 2023, a residential building was put into operation on the plot, in which Vasyl Pupena and his family currently live.
The agency notes that the loans for building a house declared by relatives are not confirmed by any documents and have signs of being fictitious.
At the end of 2024, the official's wife purchased a SKODA KODIAQ, claiming that the funds were obtained from the sale of previous cars. However, a full analysis of the family's income and expenses shows that it is impossible to legally accumulate such an amount.
Earlier, journalist Taras Seredych reported that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vasyl Pupena registered for disability to avoid mobilization. The disability was later canceled, and the customs officer is appealing the decision of the Ministry of Health to terminate the corresponding pension payments. In addition, Pupena uses special license plates, which are issued only to law enforcement officers for performing risky tasks or high-ranking officials under state protection.
Currently, the NACP materials have been transferred to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to resolve the issue of initiating criminal proceedings under Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal enrichment).
Read also: German Masyaikin, head of the sector for compliance with rights and freedoms of the department for interaction with law enforcement agencies of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, was found to have inaccurate information in the amount of UAH 6.04 million.
In addition, we reported that the head of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Poltava region, Oleg Pakhnits, declared an airplane, dozens of land plots, and several million dollars in cash.
