As part of the investigation into tax evasion, detectives of the Territorial Department of the Economic Security Bureau in Kyiv region based on a court order conducted searches at the warehouses of a company that sells car parts and tyres in Ukraine.

During the searches the company's officials obstructed the detectives in providing access to information and documents on the purchase and sale of products.

In particular the company's employees disconnected server and computer equipment to prevent detectives from accessing financial and business reports. As a result the company's operations were effectively shut down.

Such an algorithm of actions in case of inspections at the company was agreed in advance and communicated to all employees - the detectives found the relevant instruction during the search.

Earlier, detectives established that the company's officials sold car tyres and car parts throughout Ukraine for cash without properly reflecting these transactions in accounting and tax records.

In addition the pre-trial investigation established that the officials unreasonably formed expenses and a VAT tax credit by documenting non-commodity transactions for the purchase of agricultural products with companies that have signs of risk and fictitiousness.

In the course of the investigation the detectives of the ESBU obtained a court verdict for one of the counterparties, confirming the fact of non-commodity nature and unlawful formation of gross expenses and increase of the VAT tax credit.

This illegal scheme allowed the company to evade taxes totalling over UAH 220 million. At the same time the company's cash turnover is over UAH 6 billion.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Part 1 Art. 205-1 and Part 3 Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.