BES or Bureau of Economic Security Detectives are conducting an investigation into the fact of tax evasion of more than a billion hryvnias by gambling organizers. The context of the release made it clear that it is about the Cosmolot company.
Bureau of Economic Security Detectives confirm the amount of damages caused to the state through State Tax Service documents.
These data shows that the company paid players 4.5 billion hryvnias of winnings, of which it did not pay taxes on 1.1 billion hryvnias. They portrayed these payments not as winnings but as refunds of funds, specifically deposits, allegedly unused during gambling by individuals.
Detectives have already questioned the company’s employees, players, and counterparties. It also conducted investigative actions. This includes searches. They also seized business accounts with permission to pay taxes and wagers.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Detectives of Bureau of Economic Security Detectives continue to collect evidence. In the future, forensic economists will utilize these pieces of evidence for examination.
Prior to this, one of Cosmolot co-owners Arnulf Damerau, a British and German businessman, told the Financial Times that officials in the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine and the presidential administration are trying to demand tens of millions of euros from him.
In Vienna last December, Damerau stated that someone approached him and informed him that they would drop the legal claims against Cosmolot if he agreed to transfer control of half of the company to an offshore trust.
He denies any allegations and believes that the claims are fabricated. The company paid €60 million in taxes last year, as per the official tax returns.
