02.06.2025
Declaration
A feast in time of war for the law enforcement system of Ukraine
Could the body that is supposed to fight economic crimes be involved in corruption schemes? What if the judicial system, which is supposed to ensure justice, is also mired in manipulation? Ukrainian realities show that the BES, in connection with judges, have become the first links in schemes to intimidate and raid Ukrainian businesses, carve up land, and, most importantly, cover up the illegal, shadow economy.
This was the first source of the wealth of the local “elite” in the form of foreign villas, dozens of real estate properties, and luxury cars. So how do Ukrainian law enforcement officers and judges make their money?
The dubious wealth of the head of the Lviv BES department
Andriy Kozyuk is the current head of the BES in Lviv region, who took over the agency in 2024. His career began in 2019 at the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Lviv Oblast, and since 2022 he has worked as a senior analyst at the BES. During this short period, the Kozyuk family became the owner of significant assets that raise questions about their origin.
For example, according to the declarations, from the end of 2022 to the end of 2024, the Kozyuk family acquired four real estate properties with a total value of over UAH 2.7 million:
- December 2022: Andriy Kozyuk purchased a 40.9 m² apartment for UAH 654,167.
June 2023: Kozyuk’s wife, Iryna Kozyuk, became the owner of a 68.8 m² apartment for UAH 1,161,654 and a 5.6 m² non-residential building for UAH 95,701. - November 2024: Iryna Kozyuk purchased another apartment of 39.7 m² for UAH 833,851.
The total area of the purchased real estate is more than 155 m², and its cost is UAH 2,745,373. For a civil servant working in a body tasked with fighting economic crimes, this dynamic looks suspicious.
As for movable property, Kozyuk’s family owns a 2014 BMW 328I car worth UAH 268,889 at the time of purchase. The car is registered to Iryna Kozyuk, but Andriy Kozyuk has the right to use it.
Monetary assets include USD 9,000 in cash and UAH 143,420 on a bank account with Raiffeisen Bank, declared by Iryna Kozyuk as her personal property.
Speaking of income, in 2024, Andriy Kozyuk declared no income:
- Salary at TU BEB – UAH 794,523.
Cash support from BES – UAH 2,960.
Income from the redemption of government bonds – UAH 29,000.
Interest from government bonds through Universal Bank JSC – UAH 2,030.
Additional benefit from JSC Universal Bank – UAH 205.
Interest income from JSC Universal Bank – UAH 145.
Thus, Andriy Kozyuk’s total income for 2024 amounted to UAH 828,863. His wife, Iryna Kozyuk, declared income from entrepreneurial activity in the amount of UAH 1,457,204. The total family income for 2024 is approximately UAH 2.286 million.
The official income of the Kozyuk family does not cover the value of the acquired property. Between 2022 and 2024, the family spent at least UAH 2.745 million on real estate, not including car expenses, taxes, or other needs. Even if we assume that all of the income in 2024 went to the purchase of property, this does not explain the sources of funding for the purchases in 2022-2023, when Kozyuk was not yet the head of TU BEB and had a lower salary.
This discrepancy points to possible illicit enrichment on the part of the BES official. Could these funds have been obtained through corruption schemes related to BES activities or manipulations in the Lychakiv court?
The scandal around Ayboks Bank: the beginning of the story
One of the cases under Koziuk’s personal control is the investigation of the scandalous Ayboks Bank, which has been going on for years. Criminal proceedings No. 72023000500000071 under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 203-2 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine were initiated on September 14, 2023. The case concerns the organization of illegal activities related to money laundering and other financial fraud. The investigation is being carried out by detectives of the SBU Office in Lviv region.
The suspects, according to the investigation, intentionally evading the investigator, hiding from justice, were put on the wanted list on August 4, 2023, and on August 11, 2023 – on the international wanted list. This was the basis for the BES detectives’ petition to the Lychakiv District Court of Lviv for permission to conduct a special pre-trial investigation. The petition was submitted to investigating judge Volodymyr Marmash, who ruled in favor of the detectives on March 13, 2025, allowing the investigation in the absence of suspects. Although the BES detectives provided materials confirming these conditions, the defense’s arguments were ignored. For example, the defense pointed to insufficient evidence and procedural violations, but these arguments were considered superficially.
In addition, the case was accompanied by a number of other manipulations, including those related to territorial jurisdiction. It should be reminded that the TU BES in Lviv region is officially registered at 67 Kost Levytskoho Street, Lviv. However, in fact, it operates at 35 Stryiska Street, in the Sykhiv district. That is why all cases should have been considered in the Sykhiv District Court as it is located at the place of the offense. However, in fact, all requests for seizures and arrests end up in the Lychakiv District Court.
Moreover, the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the Prosecutor General calmly observe such fraud, allowing them to ignore the rules of procedural law.
Corruption in the court: manipulations with the distribution of cases
By the way, according to the analysis of the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, 90% of the petitions of BES detectives sent to the Lychakiv District Court are considered by Judge Marmash. And this is no coincidence. The court practices interference with the automated case distribution system, which is supposed to ensure random distribution among judges based on their specialization and workload.
However, in Lychakiv court this provision is only formal. At the direction of the court chairman Zhovnir, the case distribution system is manipulated to ensure that motions from the BES are submitted to the “right” judge, Marmash. As a result, the motions of BES detectives are almost always granted, while the judge leaves complaints about the inaction of detectives without consideration, manipulating the law.
In previous posts, we have already written about the wealth of Judge Marmash and how his family enriched itself through shady cooperation with the BES.
We have re-submitted the materials to the central law enforcement and regulatory authorities with demands to take action and stop manipulations. We are waiting for a response.
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