Mykolaiv director fined over ₴84 million for illegal grain exports

Harvesting, illustrative photo: congress.gov.ua

In Mykolaiv, the director of a local company was fined more than 84 million hryvnias for illegal grain exports.

According to the press service of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, he submitted false documents during customs clearance — it turned out that the foreign company listed as the buyer no longer existed.

«The court found that in 2020, the company headed by the man exported more than 35,000 tonnes of grains, legumes and sunflower meal worth about 169 million hryvnias from the customs territory of Ukraine. At the same time, the submitted customs documents contained false information. In particular, the company that was listed as the recipient of the products did not carry out any economic activity», the statement said.

It is reported that the court found the man guilty of violating customs legislation and ordered him to pay a fine of 84 million 370 thousand 664 hryvnias, as well as to reimburse the cost of the illegally exported goods — more than 168 million hryvnias.

In a commentary to NikVesti, the spokeswoman for the Southern Customs Office, Kateryna Chumachenko, said that this was a protection of the state's economic interests:

«The court's decision confirms the consistent position of the customs office on the inevitability of liability for violations of customs legislation and the importance of adhering to the principles of transparency and legality in foreign economic activity. In addition, it means more money for the budget and a defended position of the customs as a territorial authority,» she said.

"This year, no shortage of vegetables is expected in Ukraine, as the harvest was sufficient and even exceeded last year's. As a result, prices for most vegetables have dropped significantly.