Position: State inspector of the Uhryniv customs post of Lviv Customs.
Sphere of corruption: customs.
Region of corruption activity: Lviv region.
Qualification: reported on suspicion of abuse of official position and official forgery (Part 2 of Article 364, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Status: the court chose a preventive measure for the suspect in the form of detention with the right to post bail.
Case plot: SBI officers, together with prosecutors, exposed Vitaliy Pyura, a state inspector at the Uhryniv customs post of Lviv Customs, who allowed the movement of equipment worth almost UAH 7 million across the border without proper registration and payment.
As reported on Wednesday, May 6, in the territorial department of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor's Office of the Lviv region, in September 2023, a customs inspector allowed a Renault car, which was traveling through the "red corridor" lane from the territory of Poland, to cross the border without proper clearance.
Despite the obvious presence of goods that were subject to declaration and taxation, the inspector did not record them in the documents and did not conduct a customs inspection. Instead, he completed the registration and allowed the car to leave the checkpoint. In this way, charging stations, batteries and game consoles of leading world brands with a total value of almost 7 million UAH were imported without paying mandatory payments.
According to the investigation, in order to hide the violation, the inspector entered false information into the automated customs clearance system. Instead of equipment, he indicated "hygiene products" weighing 43 kg and worth about UAH 1,700. As a result of the illegal actions, the state budget of Ukraine received more than UAH 1.35 million less in value-added tax.
A customs inspector was reported on suspicion of abuse of office and official forgery (Part 2 of Article 364, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Law enforcement officers are not disclosing the name of the customs officer. According to ZAXID.NET, the suspicion was received by state inspector Vitaliy Pyura.
The court chose a preventive measure for the suspect in the form of detention with the right to post bail.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: being identified.
Assets: in the declaration, Pyura indicated real estate in the Zhytomyr region, a Nissan X-Trail car in use, a salary at the Lviv Customs, his wife's salary at Apollo LLC, as well as cash and funds in an account at PrivatBank. His wife Kseniya Volodymyrivna Pyura, previous surname - Sidorova, is indicated as a family member in the declaration.
Vitaliy Pyura uses an apartment with an area of 68.7 m² in the village of Lyubar, Zhytomyr district. The right of use is indicated as free of charge, based on an oral agreement. The owner of the apartment is Viktor Lavrentyovich Pyura.
Vitaliy Pyura also owns 50% of a homestead with an area of 198.1 m² in the village of Novy Lyubar, Zhytomyr district, acquired on December 18, 2010. The cost on the date of acquisition of the right is UAH 39.6 thousand. The other 50% belongs to Mykola Petrovych Melnyk.
Pyura also owns two plots of land in the village of Novy Lyubar, acquired on December 18, 2010: a plot of land with an area of 2,500 m², Pyura's share is 50%, the other 50% belongs to Mykola Petrovych Melnyk; a plot of land with an area of 715 m², Pyura's share is 50%, the other 50% belongs to Mykola Petrovych Melnyk.
No unfinished construction projects, valuable movable property, except for vehicles, securities, corporate rights, legal entities or trusts, or intangible assets are listed in the declaration.
In the vehicles section, Pyura declared the right to use a 2013 Nissan X-Trail. The car was purchased on September 14, 2013, and the owner is Ruslana Viktorivna Pyura.
Vitaliy Pyura's income: salary at Lviv Customs — 460.6 thousand UAH.
Income of Ksenia Pyura's wife: salary at Apollo LLC - 114.6 thousand UAH. Monetary assets of Vitaliy Pyura: cash - 250 thousand UAH; funds in the account at PrivatBank - 11 thousand UAH.
Persons who should have reacted: in the case of Pyura, law enforcement officers reacted in a timely manner.
Scandals: There is no information in open sources about other scandals involving Pyura.
Sources:
https://zaxid.net/lvivskogo_mitnika_vikrili_u_propusku_kontrabandi_na_mayzhe_7_mln_grn_n1636335
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/d164e0f5-53e4-4b65-878d-21e3033b7b79