Tax scandal in Chernivtsi: the role of Vasily Zazulyak in the Basismed case

The other day, the information space was stirred up by an event - a private medical center in Chernivtsi was exposed for tax evasion and payment of salaries “in envelopes.” According to law enforcement officials, some of the personnel received the official minimum wage, while the rest received cash. Some workers worked illegally. According to insider sources of StopCor, the deputy mayor of Chernivtsi, Vasily Zazulyak, is connected with the center. Read more about its role and condition in the material.

BEB investigation

The Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) began an investigation, seizing rough notes and envelopes with money during searches in the center and the residences of the persons involved in the case.

Law enforcement officers found that the medical center systematically paid illegal salaries to its employees. Medical staff received part of their salary as the minimum wage on official documents, and the rest was paid in envelopes. In addition, some of the workers were not officially registered at all.

“BAB detectives conducted searches at the medical center and at the residences of the participants in the criminal scheme. Draft notes, computers and envelopes with cash for payments were seized,” the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine reports. While the investigation is ongoing, investigative actions are ongoing and suspicions may be raised against those responsible for tax evasion.

Medical center "Bazismed"

According to information from StopCor’s own sources, the investigation concerns the Basismed center, with which the deputy mayor of Chernivtsi, Vasily Zazulyak, is associated. Although on the opendatabot website one of the owners is listed as the wife of the deputy mayor, Lydia Zazulyak.

The center specializes in various medical services, including surgery, pediatrics, cardiology, and has branches in the region. The institution has several branches in Chernivtsi and Novoselytsya, and it is positioned as a modern center of evidence-based medicine with highly qualified specialists. Some of them, as it turned out, were not officially registered and some received their salaries in envelopes.

Financial growth of Basismed

According to opendatabot, Basismed demonstrates stable financial growth. In 2023, the company's income amounted to UAH 40.59 million, which is much more than in 2020 (UAH 10.9 million). Net profit in 2023 amounted to UAH 1.08 million. The center's assets reached UAH 16.79 million, and the number of employees increased from 74 to 93 people. However, some of the staff, as it turned out, received their salaries unofficially.

Condition of Vasily and Lydia Zazulyak

Vasily Zazulyak and his wife Lydia declared a significant fortune. They own non-residential premises, apartments and land plots in Chernivtsi and the region. Lydia Zazulyak is the owner of an apartment with an area of ​​186.7 m² and two apartments with a smaller area in the city of Chernivtsi, and she also owns a house with an area of ​​485.3 m² in the Chernivtsi region.

The deputy mayor has a declared Volkswagen Caddy 2000, and his businesswoman wife owns a newer 2018 Volksvagen Touareg model. But the value of the cars is kept silent in the declaration. On the auto.ria website, the Volksvagen Touareg 2018 costs about $40-50 thousand.

In 2023, Vasily Zazulyak earned UAH 517,646 in the city council and received an additional UAH 4,000,000. from the alienation of securities and dividends in the amount of UAH 1,175,650. His wife Lydia Zazulyak earned 80,400 UAH at her main place of work at Polyus-Development LLC, and another 21,219 UAH from her part-time job at Rent-Office LLC. Entrepreneurial activity brought her 3,252,222 UAH, and from the alienation of securities and corporate rights - 8,628,843 UAH. Dividends amounted to UAH 805,600, and social payments also received UAH 10,320. By the way, the declaration does not indicate how much Lydia received from BasisMed.

Cash assets of spouses

The couple also own significant monetary assets. Lydia keeps 179,400 euros, 396,400 dollars and 1,900,000 UAH in cash. She holds 3,998,000 UAH and 16,281 euros in bank accounts. Vasyl Zazulyak keeps cash of 355,000 UAH, 93,640 euros and 142,600 dollars.

In addition to his activities in the medical sector, Zazulyak is associated with entrepreneurial activities. He is a co-owner of several real estate and construction companies, such as Vodogray, Next Property and Symmetry Invest. These companies are engaged in the construction and sale of real estate in Chernivtsi.

In addition to official income and real estate, Zazuliak may have other assets related to his businesses, but additional details regarding financial transactions are not publicly disclosed.

The Basismed medical center in Chernivtsi was at the center of an ESB investigation due to payment of salaries in “envelopes” and illegal employment of some of the staff. Although the center demonstrates stable financial growth, identified violations could lead to serious consequences for its activities. The fortune of the Zazulyakov spouses, in particular their real estate and monetary assets, also attracts attention.

The editors of StoKor sent inquiries to the BEB and to the office of the Prosecutor General to clarify the stage of the pre-trial investigation, the amount of damages specified, and whether the indictments were submitted to the court and whether suspicions were handed over to those involved in criminal proceedings. Therefore, we continue to monitor developments in the situation and possible new investigations into this matter.

Let us remind you that according to research, Chernivtsi is among the cities with the highest frequency index of corruption cases.