The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has fully granted a lawsuit filed by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to recognize the assets of the family of Artem Sniezhko, a former State Tax Service official in the Sumy Oblast, as unjustified and forfeit them to the state. The case involves property worth 7 million UAH, which was effectively controlled by the former tax official’s family despite being legally registered to third parties. The ruling was issued as part of a civil forfeiture procedure.
The court established that the family of the former head of the anti-money laundering department had illicitly acquired high-value assets. The confiscated property includes:
A Lexus RX 350 (2022 model) valued at 3.1 million UAH. The vehicle was registered to the wife of a close friend of the official, but Sniezhko’s wife used it continuously from the day of purchase.
Four real estate properties (three apartments and one parking space) with a total value of 3.9 million UAH, legally registered under the name of the official’s mother-in-law.
From the case files: «An analysis of the income and expenditures of the official and his family confirmed the impossibility of acquiring the vehicle through legitimate sources, as well as the impossibility of such a purchase by the family of the individual’s close friend.»
The investigation revealed that the real estate assets were purchased between 2020 and 2023. Ownership was immediately registered to Artem Sniezhko’s mother-in-law. However, financial monitoring quickly established that her official, lawful income was completely insufficient to cover the purchase of these properties.
A similar proxy scheme was utilized in 2023 to buy the luxury crossover directly from a dealership. This first-instance court ruling clears the way for the unjustified assets to be officially transferred into state ownership.