SFS Investigations Department in Cherkasy oblast closes criminal case one day before meeting with PM

Subject of complaint: Investigations Department of Financial Investigations of Main Administration of State Fiscal Service (SFS) in Cherkasy Oblast
Complaint in brief: The Complainant, a company specializing in domestic transport and forwarding services and rail cargo shipments, requested the BOC’s assistance in what it claimed was an unsubstantiated criminal case involving alleged tax evasion. On July 09, 2015, the SFS Department of Financial Investigations in Cherkasy had launched a pre-trial investigation, despite the fact that there were no outstanding tax liabilities.
Action taken: The BOC requested the SFS of Ukraine to verify the legality of the actions of the investigators handling this case at the Department of Financial Investigations in Cherkasy. In addition, the BOC prepared information about the Complainant’s case for the Cabinet of Ministers to review. The BOC inspector presented this case during a meeting with the PM on July 12, 2016, as an example of systemic problems with the baseless initiation or continuation of criminal cases against the Complainant despite court rulings in its favor.
Result achieved: The SFS Department of Financial Investigations in Cherkasy Oblast closed its criminal investigation the day before the BOC met with the PM. The Complainant expressed gratitude to the BOC as the only institution that had helped to resolve problems affecting its business.