The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) has filed a lawsuit with the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) to recognize the assets of Vitaliy Sobchuk, the former acting head of the Rivne Customs, as unsubstantiated. Prosecutors are demanding the forfeiture of property and funds worth over 10 million UAH to the state. This was revealed through court documents submitted to the HACC.
Following an investigation by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), the official’s legitimate income was found to be drastically disproportionate to his actual wealth. Under the mechanism of civil forfeiture, the state aims to seize the following assets:
A 192.2 sq. m. residential house in Rivne, including the land plot;
A 67.6 sq. m. apartment in Rivne;
Half of a 168.7 sq. m. holiday home on the shores of the Khrinnyky Reservoir, along with half of the adjacent land;
A 2019 Volkswagen Touareg.
Additionally, the lawsuit targets nearly 395,000 UAH. This sum represents the income Vitaliy Sobchuk and his ex-wife (the marriage dissolved in May 2025) received from selling another suspicious real estate property.
The NACP established that the former official attempted to conceal his true wealth by legally registering part of the luxury property under the names of his mother and mother-in-law. However, law enforcement agencies gathered substantial evidence proving that the customs official himself effectively owned, used, and disposed of these assets.
The probe into the former Rivne Customs chief intensified in the summer of last year:
«As early as June 26, 2025, the NACP sent an official inquiry to Vitaliy Sobchuk, demanding that he explain the source of funds used to purchase the expensive property.»
Immediately after receiving the inquiry, Sobchuk hastily sold his half of a two-story holiday home at the Khrinnyky Reservoir. Notably, the property—originally recorded in paperwork as costing him 85,000 UAH—was sold for 1.5 million UAH.
This urgent sale served as the decisive argument for the HACC judicial panel. To prevent the remaining assets from being quickly transferred to third parties, the court reviewed the prosecutor’s application secretly, without notifying Sobchuk or his relatives. Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities are currently continuing their efforts to block any other potential assets belonging to the suspect.