The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is seeking a court order to seize a BMW worth 2.2 million hryvnias from a tax official
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) filed a complaint with the High Anti-Corruption Court regarding a BMW 320 worth over 2.2 million hryvnias. The car was registered in the name of the mother of the deputy head of one of the departments of the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, but, according to prosecutors, the official himself actually handled the purchase and was the one who used the car. Now, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is asking the court to declare this asset unjustified and to confiscate it as state revenue.
The vehicle in question is a 2025 BMW 320, valued at 2,277,151.50 UAH. Formally, the car’s owner is the tax official’s mother. However, it is precisely this registration that raised questions among law enforcement officials. According to the case file, the woman does not have a driver’s license.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) believes that she did not actually purchase the car. According to prosecutors, the deputy head of one of the departments of the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast personally arranged the purchase of the car. Additionally, according to the prosecutor’s office, the official participated in selecting the car and registering it. After the purchase, he used the BMW from day one. In other words, as the prosecution claims, the car may have been registered in the mother’s name in order to formally separate the expensive asset from the official himself.
Income Was Insufficient to Afford the BMW
Separately, law enforcement officials reviewed the tax official’s official income and expenses during the period when the car was purchased. The analysis revealed that the official’s legal income was insufficient to purchase a BMW worth over 2.2 million hryvnias.
Moreover, according to the SAP, his official income during that period was entirely spent on other current needs. In other words, the prosecutor’s office found no legitimate source of funds through which the official could have purchased such a car.
It was precisely this discrepancy between the asset’s value and his official income that served as one of the grounds for filing the lawsuit. At the same time, it is important to note that the SAP is currently only asking the court to declare the asset unjustified. The final decision is to be made by the High Anti-Corruption Court.
The BMW has already been seized
To prevent the car from being sold, transferred to another person, or otherwise disposed of before the case is resolved, the court has issued a preliminary injunction. On July 29, 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court seized the disputed BMW 320.
This means that no transactions involving the car may be freely conducted while the relevant court order remains in effect. The case itself will now be heard in court. The SAPO prosecutor is requesting that the car be recognized as an unjustified asset and transferred to state ownership.
Where Did the Information About the BMW Come From?
The SAPO’s lawsuit is based on lifestyle monitoring data collected by the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP). The NACP examined the official’s lifestyle and compared it with his official income and expenses. Following this, law enforcement officials took notice of the expensive car, which is formally registered in the name of the tax official’s mother.
A prosecutor from the SAP also independently gathered additional evidence, which was included in the lawsuit’s materials. Thus, the case centers not only on the car itself but also on the questions of who actually purchased the BMW, where the money for it came from, and who actually used the car. Now, the High Anti-Corruption Court must evaluate these circumstances. If the court agrees with the prosecution’s arguments, the car, valued at over 2.2 million hryvnias, may be confiscated as state revenue.
