Investigation points to possible schemes for falsifying payments and moving funds abroad by former State Tax Service and customs officials linked to importers and business in Lviv.
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Former investigator of the Lviv State Tax Service, Vasyl Sandul, and former customs operative Yevhen Kulibaba have found themselves at the centre of a media investigation. Journalists point to possible schemes for falsifying payments, laundering shadow income, and moving funds abroad. The focus is on a network of companies that imported goods worth nearly 950 million hryvnia, as well as a significant volume of real estate in Lviv.
According to the investigation data, Sandul and Kulibaba began their entrepreneurial activities in 2020. As early as February 2021, they almost simultaneously obtained certificates for the right to engage in legal practice. It is worth noting that both indicated the same address in Mukachevo. Vasyl Sandul's wife, Olga, worked as an assistant to a judge of the Sykhivskyi District Court of Lviv.
In 2022, the partners founded the security company "Centrix" with a charter capital of 3.56 million hryvnia. The enterprise repeatedly changed its name, the composition of its founders, and its legal addresses. The company's financial indicators showed sharp fluctuations: in 2023, the loss amounted to 6.31 million hryvnia, while in 2024, the profit reached 5.25 million hryvnia on revenue of 13.05 million hryvnia. In 2025, the profit decreased to 537,000 hryvnia.
At the same Kyiv address, the law firm "SK Partners" operates, where Sandul and Kulibaba each own 50% shares. Sandul is the director of the firm. The company's revenue is 2.9 million hryvnia, and its staff has grown from 4 to 14 people.
Through this firm, the partners control half of the trading house "Dika vyshnia" (Wild Cherry). Previously, they owned 95% of the company with a charter capital of 4 million hryvnia. Later, the capital was reduced to 1 million hryvnia, and shares of 25% each were acquired by Sofiia Stoyanovska and Artur Duda.
Another company linked to the partners, "Industrialtown", was transferred to the ownership of Kateryna Doroshenko in 2023. According to the investigation, she is involved in more than 600 companies. Doroshenko also controls 97.28% of the "Ukrainian Factoring Centre" (charter capital 411.2 million hryvnia) and the transport company "Transvion Vector".
The authors paid particular attention to Vasyl Sandul's mother, Irina Sandul. In 2016, she became a co-owner of the companies "Komina" and "Pekara". "Komina" was involved in the history of re-registering communal premises based on a disputed order of the Halych District Administration dated 4 April 1996. Notary Oleh Shchur was mentioned in the registration actions.
In January 2026, the court considered the issue of returning a 70.1 sq m premises on 63 Volodymyr the Great Street to the community of Lviv. In July 2026, Irina Sandul, Lyudmyla Malkova, and former tax official Serhiy Malkov were involved in the registration of an object of over 3,000 sq m on 24 Panas Myrny Street.
In total, Irina Sandul had 61 real estate objects, including 18 apartments.
The materials on possible financial schemes also feature importers "Radugatoys" and "Triocompany". The volume of operations for the first company was at least 800 million hryvnia, while the import of the second was 150 million hryvnia. The owner of "Radugatoys" is named as 21-year-old Yuriy Yarosh, who is linked to 17 companies. "Triocompany" belongs to Margarita Kononenko.
Journalists noted that the websites of both companies were registered on 22 October 2025 at 13:27. The resources lack full catalogues, prices, and contact information. However, direct financial transactions between these importers and the companies of Sandul and Kulibaba have not been publicly confirmed.
In the publication, Sandul is linked to the head of customs, Orest Mandziy, and possible grey import of cars. Criminal proceedings regarding the companies "Akvapast", "Tradinghouse", "Saleprom", and "Goriprof" are also mentioned. At the same time, the direct procedural involvement of Sandul and Kulibaba in these cases has not been established.
The investigation describes a network of companies, significant import operations, and assets linked to former tax officials and their circle. However, the connections between individual enterprises, possible financial schemes, and specific individuals require proper confirmation. The mere mentions in the journalistic material are not proof of involvement in offences.
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