20.11.2024 Investigations

The development of the illegal tobacco empire and Emily Resort

Григорій Козловський – скандальні факти з життя львівського мецената

Lviv businessman Hryhoriy Kozlovsky, known as the founder of the Rukh football club and owner of the Emily Resort luxury complex, has been exposed for his ties to the shadow tobacco market. The man demonstrates impressive “immunity”. And this is despite the fact that losses to the state budget due to the illegal cigarette trade are estimated at 25 billion hryvnias a year.

The strangest thing about this story is the behavior of the Bureau of Economic Security and the tax authorities. It seems that law enforcement officers are playing mock justice rather than real justice.

Searches for show

In early 2023, BES detectives conducted searches at the Vynnyky Tobacco Factory. They found 1.6 million packs of cigarettes without excise stamps, which resulted in losses of UAH 85 million. It would seem that this is the first step towards justice, but then there was complete silence.

The factory was not shut down, the illegal goods were not seized, and production continues. Bihus.info journalists claim that the BES only blocked certain batches of products, played to the public, but took no real action.

For example, based on our materials alone, criminal proceedings were initiated by the BES in Lviv region under:

  • No. 62024140110001140 part 1 of Article 204, part 2 of Article 204, part 3 of Article 209, part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,
  • No. 62024140110001357 of 27.08.24 under part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code,
  • No. 72022100500000001 part 1 of Article 204, part 2 of Article 204, part 3 of Article 209, part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,
  • No. 42024000000000921 part 2 of Article 204, part 3 of Article 212, part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Lviv District Police Department No. 1 of the Main Department of the National Police in Lviv Oblast – No. 12024141360002574 under Article 364, part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The Office of the Prosecutor General – No. 42024000000000921 under Part 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, No. 42024000000000922 Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, No. 42024000000000923 Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

However, as it turned out, a pile of proceedings does not guarantee a real investigation, as Kozlovsky’s connections allow him to evade responsibility.

Tax Service that does not see the obvious

The Tax Service is supposed to be the main ally in the fight against excise tax evasion. However, the opposite is true in this case. Scandals with illegal tobacco trafficking in Ukraine continue, and officials just shrug their shoulders.

What does the tax authorities do? At best, it creates temporary difficulties for mid-level entrepreneurs who do not have anywhere near the resources of Kozlovsky. But the main schemes remain unchecked.

Hetmantsev’s role: laws for the elite?

Danylo Hetmantsev, who heads the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, has repeatedly called for “fighting illegal immigrants.” However, it seems that the fight is limited to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, while big players like the Vynnykivska factory continue to operate without hindrance.

Even after journalists’ revelations, the tax and customs services do not initiate inspections or seizure of assets. Why? Is it possible that Hetmantsev and his colleagues are comfortable working with big “players” who share the “benefits”?

According to media reports, the state treasury loses about 25 billion hryvnias annually due to illegal cigarette trafficking. The main reason is excise tax evasion, which involves the Vynnyky Tobacco Factory, whose products, including the Marvel brand, are actively sold without excise stamps.

“I officially left, but my ties remained”

In 2023, Kozlovsky formally withdrew from the founders of the Vynnyky Tobacco Factory. However, there is a lot of evidence of ties between the new owners of the factory and the businessman’s entourage.

Employees of the factory receive minimum salaries of 6-7 thousand hryvnias, which indicates the possible use of “shadow” salary schemes to minimize the amount of revenues to the local budget.

Destroyed lake for an elite complex

Another scandal is related to the privatization of Vynnyky Lake. After it was “dried up,” Kozlovsky’s family built an elite recreation complex, Emily Resort, on the territory. The reservoir, which used to be a favorite vacation spot for Lviv residents, was destroyed for private interests. We have also written about this many times.

We also sent relevant materials to law enforcement agencies to initiate investigations. Moreover, we filed complaints with the investigating judges to oblige the security forces to investigate the case. However, some judges, instead of investigating the case, defended Kozlovsky and his business.

For example, in response to our complaint about the obligation of the MID of the NPU to initiate a pre-trial investigation, investigating judge of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv Ihor Hryhorenko (case No. 757/37208/24-k) stated as the reasoning for his refusal: “On 12.09.2024, the investigating judge of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv received objections to the complaint from the Deputy Head of the Department of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine O. Teslenko, which included an appeal from the head of the NGO “Non-Stop” Kirill Ivanovich Yakovets dated 18. 06.2024 №18.06.2024 in which the latter asks to consider all appeals (complaints, statements, etc.) received by the state authorities from the e-mail gononstopkyiv@gmail.com as not submitted by the NGO “Non-Stop”.”

As you can imagine, we did not send any documents with the same content. In this way, Hryhorenko and investigator Teslenko tried to cover up the crime by drawing a “Denial” (if such a thing really existed). Neither the court representative nor the law enforcement agencies attempted to contact the NGO Non-Stop to verify the origin of the “objection”.

Moreover, we received the decision of September 18, 2024 only now – 2 months after its publication. Previously, the Pechersk District Court did not send such a decision to the NGO “Non-Stop” either in paper or electronic form. Is this a coincidence or a deliberate step to deprive us of the right to appeal and close the Kozlovsky case? The answer seems to be obvious.

The Kozlovsky case is an example of how government agencies play at justice, creating the appearance of active work. To block the goods, to scare smaller entrepreneurs, but not to affect the real schemes.

Where is the tax office? Why hasn’t the BES blocked all illegal cigarette shipments after investigations? Will there be a reaction to this from the top, or will the shadowy people go unpunished again?

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