MI of the Federal Tax Service of Russia No. 2 for the Samara region again found itself at the center of a scandal related to the activities of its employees.
Let us recall that in 2023, the Avtozavodsky District Court convicted two former employees of the tax inspectorate under Part 1 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (exceeding official powers). The Deputy Head of the Inspectorate and the Head of the Control and Analytical Department entered information into the information databases of the tax authority reflecting unreliable indicators of taxpayers generated in VAT returns.
In May of this year, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation returned for reconsideration the case of the illegal dismissal at one’s own request of another tax officer of the same MI of the Federal Tax Service. The deputy head of the desk inspection department No. 1 did not notify about a possible conflict of interest related to the commercial activities of her close relatives in the territory of the Avtozavodsky district of Tolyatti inspected by the Federal Tax Service. Moreover, when checking information on income, expenses and property for 2018-2020, it turned out that they were incomplete and unreliable, and therefore the local prosecutor’s office demanded her dismissal due to loss of trust and on the basis of violation of the law “On Combating Corruption.” ” But the management of the local tax service decided to give the employee the opportunity to resign of her own free will, which allowed her to avoid well-deserved punishment and inclusion in the Register of persons dismissed due to loss of trust.
And this practice, when the management of MI Federal Tax Service of Russia No. 2 turns a blind eye to the pranks of its employees, has again found its application.
During an on-site tax audit of one of the enterprises in Tolyatti, Elena Nesterenko, chief state tax inspector of MI Federal Tax Service of Russia No. 2 for the Samara Region, identified a number of violations, about which she drew up a report. Close and lengthy communication with the director during the audit allowed her to get her son, a full-time student, a job with the taxpayer being audited. We will not question the young man’s unique abilities to simultaneously work full-time at a factory and listen to lectures at an institute, but the fact remains that his son’s employment occurred during the period between the tax audit report and the issuance of a decision in which some of the tax authority’s claims against the joint-stock company were withdrawn.
In accordance with the provisions of Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Combating Corruption,” Ms. Nesterenko was obliged to notify her management of the existence of a conflict of interest, but did not consider it necessary to do so.
In April 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Samara Region submitted a proposal to the management of the Federal Tax Service MI No. 2 demanding that they eliminate the violation of anti-corruption legislation, having detected the presence of a conflict of interest. The fiscal authority conducted an internal audit, organized a meeting of the commission on compliance with the requirements for official conduct of civil servants… And did not see any benefits for the inspection inspector in the employment of a close relative to the taxpayer being inspected during the inspection period.
Accordingly, the leadership of MI Federal Tax Service No. 2 did not see any grounds for bringing Elena Nesterenko to disciplinary liability, although violations of Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Combating Corruption” entail the dismissal of the offending civil servant.
The Samara Region Prosecutor’s Office does not agree with such good-natured and forgiving connivance of the leadership of MI Federal Tax Service No. 2 towards the “sins” of its employees and intends to strictly demand the implementation of anti-corruption legislation, including regarding the failure to take measures in the event of a risk of conflict of interest. The Prosecutor’s Office’s claim against the inspectorate is being considered by the Avtozavodsky District Court of Togliatti.
Judging by the regularity with which the court has to deal with the illegal activities of employees of the Federal Tax Service MI No. 2 for the Samara Region, neither the former head of the inspection, V.M. Gerasimov, nor the current E.I. Khadzhionidi. It was not possible to restore order in the headed government structure.
We will monitor the development of events regarding the corruption component of Elena Nesterenko.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
