ESBU shifts approach to combating economic crimes: focus on systemic solutions and economic outcomes

 The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine is transitioning to a new operational model. This model involves concentrating resources on key risks and changing approaches to investigating economic offenses. This was announced by Pavlo Buzdyhan, Deputy Director of the ESBU, during an open interview at the VIII International Criminal Law Forum, organized by the editorial board of the Legal Practice newspaper.

According to him, the Bureau is focusing its resources on areas that cause the greatest losses to the state. These include tax evasion, the illicit turnover of excise goods, smuggling, illegal gambling, offenses in the public sector, protecting businesses from raiding, and the misuse of international technical assistance. The priority is to dismantle criminal schemes and reduce the size of the shadow economy.

The approach to threat detection has also changed. The ESBU now analyzes risks across entire industries rather than focusing on isolated incidents. This allows for the early identification of problems and the prevention of financial losses.

The Bureau is also building a more open model for interacting with the private sector. Taxpayers are informed about identified risks and potential violations. This approach aims to resolve issues without exerting excessive procedural pressure.

Additionally, Pavlo Buzdyhan emphasized the role of analytical products. Analysis itself is not considered evidence; instead, it is used to develop investigative leads and define risk parameters. Subsequently, this information is verified within criminal proceedings by gathering relevant and admissible evidence.

This strategy enables the combination of efforts to combat economic offenses with the protection of the rights of law-abiding businesses.