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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
🌻 Contract with a dissolved UK company: former director of LLC “AGRO-PROJECT” fined 1,28 million UAH for oil export
The Khadzhibey District Court of Odesa held the former head of LLC “AGRO-PROJECT,” Mykola Serhiyovych Stehachov, administratively liable for attempting to export sunflower oil abroad using documents from a dissolved British company.
This was reported by the Telegram channel "Sudom po skhemakh" citing case No. 521/3586/26.
⚖️ Case circumstances and a typical scheme
In April 2024, under Stehachov’s leadership, LLC “AGRO-PROJECT” exported a consignment of refined sunflower oil in PET bottles (produced by the FG “VIZYT-POKUTTYA”) to Malta with a total weight of more than 25,1 tons. The value of the goods declared in the customs declaration was 21 840 US dollars (855 420,38 UAH at the NBU exchange rate).
The basis for moving the cargo were a contract and accompanying documents concluded with the British company LINKLIN TRADE LP.
However, during verification and after receiving a response from the customs authorities of the United Kingdom (letters from November 2025), it turned out that LINKLIN TRADE LP had been dissolved and fully liquidated as early as 15 March 2019.
Note that the name LINKLIN TRADE LP systematically appears in court materials concerning customs violations by various Ukrainian exporters. The use of a fictitious foreign company that ceased operations many years ago is a common scheme to conceal actual recipients of products, evade repatriation of foreign currency proceeds, and illegally transfer funds out of Ukraine.
📌 Court decision and sanctions
The court qualified Mykola Serhiyovych Stehachov’s actions under part 1 of Article 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine (movement of goods accompanied by forged documents).
Since the oil had already been released for free circulation and its physical confiscation proved impossible, the court applied the provision of part 2 of Article 541 of the Customs Code of Ukraine (recovery of value).
The court adopted the relevant ruling on 10 September 2026, ordering the following:
• Fine: 50% of the value of the goods — 427 710,19 UAH;
• Recovery of the value of the goods: 100% due to inability to confiscate — 855 420,38 UAH;
• Court fee: 665,60 UAH.
The total amount determined to be recovered from Stehachov M. S. is more than 1,28 million UAH.
💡 Advice from the Telegram channel "Sudom po skhemakh"
1. Check the status of the foreign counterparty: Before signing foreign economic contracts and preparing customs declarations, be sure to order extracts from the official business registries of the buyer’s country of registration (for example, Companies House in the United Kingdom).
2. Dissolved counterparty = forged documents: Concluding agreements or issuing invoices on behalf of a firm that has officially ceased to exist (dissolved) is treated by courts and customs as submitting knowingly forged documents under Article 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.
3. Release of the goods does not protect against financial losses: If the property has already been exported or sold, this does not absolve from liability — the court applies recovery of 100% of its value instead of confiscation in addition to the primary fine.
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