Esculab medical laboratory under investigation

The "Esculab" laboratory network has become the focus of a large-scale investigation into tax evasion and the possible laundering of shadow income. According to law enforcement, the amount in question exceeds 500 million hryvnia.

Nature of the accusations

According to the materials of the case opened under Part 3 of Article 212 and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the management of the private enterprise "First Social Medical Laboratory Esculab" allegedly organised a scheme to avoid taxation. The investigation believes that cash received for medical services was not recorded in official reports and was subsequently laundered through the purchase of expensive property both in Ukraine and abroad.

According to law enforcement, more than 500 million hryvnia was siphoned off in this manner between January 2020 and the present. One piece of evidence cited is an analytical study by the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) in Lviv Oblast, which identified an underpayment of taxes for June 2023 amounting to more than 6 million hryvnia.

Shareholder conflict and courts

"Esculab" is one of Ukraine's largest medical laboratories, with an extensive network of biometric material collection points comprising over 200 branches. However, in recent years, a corporate conflict has been brewing between the co-owners within the company.

Stanislav Lugovskyi and Serhiy Dadiushko, who control 43% of the shares each, are engaged in a prolonged struggle for control of the business. The minority shareholder, Denys Melnyk, who owns 14% of the shares and is the son of the rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, is also involved in this process.

In addition to the court proceedings between the shareholders, each party has initiated criminal cases against their opponents.

Bribery case and judges' involvement

In December 2024, as part of the investigation linked to "Esculab", suspicion was served on Vasyl Artemovych, who at the time was the chairman of the Lviv Regional Commercial Court. According to the investigation, he demanded an undue benefit from Stanislav Lugovskyi in the interests of the former head of the same court, Mykhailo Yurkevych, and the former head of the Western Court of Appeal on Commercial Matters, Borys Plotnytskyi.

Law enforcement claim that the group demanded one million dollars for influencing judges of the Western Court of Appeal to rule in favour of Lugovskyi in his corporate dispute. During investigative actions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) documented the transfer of 75,000 dollars through former judge Yurkevych.

It is noted that Mykhailo Yurkevych taught at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv after resigning. It was there, according to the investigation, that he repeatedly met with Denys Melnyk and Stanislav Lugovskyi to discuss the court proceedings surrounding "Esculab". Yurkevych and Plotnytskyi allegedly provided legal support to the laboratory owners.