Scandal surrounding Yuri Cherdintsev: real estate secrets

Scandal surrounding Yuri Cherdintsev: real estate secrets and questions regarding declarations

Suspicious land deals
Yuri Cherdintsev, head of the Specialised Laboratory of the State Tax Service and former head of the Odesa Customs Administration, purchased two 840 m² plots in the resort village of Shayany in Zakarpattia in October 2022. According to his declaration, the cost of each plot was 13,214 UAH, which is significantly lower than the market price, where one arpent of land is valued at $3,000–5,000. Later, upon his request, the designated purpose of the plots was changed from agricultural to construction. This is reported by the publication "Antykorypziynyi vymir" ("Anti-Corruption Dimension").

Discrepancies in declarations
In Odesa, Cherdintsev did not declare any real estate, although he resided there, and also indicated his place of registration as the city. Nevertheless, his relatives own extensive real estate in the historic centre of Odesa.

Car declaration: inflated value
In 2024, Cherdintsev purchased a 2005 Toyota Previa for 1.52 million UAH ($36,000), which significantly exceeds the average market value of similar vehicles.

Relatives' assets
Cherdintsev's mother, Lyudmyla, owns properties in the centres of Odesa and Kyiv, as well as land in Luzanivka, which has featured in law enforcement investigations. His sister, Tetyana Yevseeva, also has extensive real estate holdings, including apartments and houses in Odesa and the Odesa region.

Lawyer's opinion
Lawyer Yevhen Vorobyov explains that undervalued assets in declarations may be used to evade taxes. However, administrative and criminal liability is provided for for providing inaccurate data.

Conclusion
The Cherdintsev case raises questions about the transparency of civil servants' declarations and possible corruption schemes. The situation requires thorough verification to confirm or refute the suspicions.