Investigation: Customs officer Ponomarenko hid assets using his mother's property

Scheme of registering assets in a pensioner's name

Investigators from the "MEZHA" Anti-Corruption Centre published data on the possible concealment of the financial status of an official from the State Customs Service. The focus is on Volodymyr Ponomarenko, Deputy Director of the Department of Customs Audit and Accounting of Persons. His unit is responsible for verifying the accuracy of customs duty calculations after the customs clearance of goods and has the authority to impose significant penalty sanctions.

An analysis of declarations and market prices revealed that a significant portion of valuable property is registered in the name of the official's mother, Lidia Ponomarenko, who is a pensioner. This creates preconditions for concealing the real income and assets of the official himself.

Elite apartment in Kyiv with undervalued price

In June 2021, the official's mother purchased an 85-square-metre apartment in the "Holosiievo" residential complex in Kyiv. The declaration lists the property value as 3.14 million UAH. Meanwhile, according to calculations by "MEZHA" experts, the estimated market price for similar housing is approximately 5 million UAH. Thus, the difference between the declared and actual value reaches almost 1.86 million UAH.

According to the submitted documents, the actual user of this apartment is the customs officer himself, despite the fact that his mother is listed as the owner.

Mercedes-Benz car with suspicious price

Another episode concerns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI. In 2020, Volodymyr Ponomarenko declared the right to use this car free of charge, which belonged to another person. During 2021–2022, the vehicle did not appear in the declarations. However, in 2023, it reappeared in the documents, with the official's mother listed as the owner.

The declared value of the car was only 49,000 UAH, while the market price of a similar model is estimated at approximately 630,000 UAH. This indicates a significant undervaluation of the price when registering the property.

Land plots in Uzhhorod and change in income

In April and May 2026, the official's mother purchased two adjacent land plots in Uzhhorod. The total estimated market value of these plots exceeds 3.1 million UAH.

An important aspect is the change in Lidia Ponomarenko's financial profile. Until March 2019, her income, according to her son's declarations, consisted mainly of a pension. In March 2019, she registered as an individual entrepreneur with the KVED code "wholesale trade of electronic and telecommunications equipment". After starting business activities, her income and cash savings increased.

Starting from 2020, the official's mother is no longer listed as a family member in Volodymyr Ponomarenko's declarations. This means that her subsequent income and acquired property status are not reflected in the official's official reports. Investigators believe that such a scheme may be used to conceal the customs officer's true financial status.