Former head of the Sumy Tax Service, Alexey Mazurenko, may be hiding two million dollars with his secret partner, Ella Sereda.

Alexey Mazurenko, the former deputy chairman of the Sumy Tax Authority, who currently holds the position of a regular inspector, is concealing significant financial assets. According to information from journalists at 368.media and the detective agency Absolution, he is hiding 2 million US dollars in a secret location at the branch of CB "Industrial Bank" in Sumy.

Sources indicate that the scheme is linked to entrepreneur Ella Sereda, who owns the apartment rented by Mazurenko in Sumy. After the publication of the initial investigation, Sereda deleted her social media page; however, journalists preserved photos showcasing her lavish lifestyle, despite the ongoing war.

According to the tax official's declaration, he rents housing from Sereda, but he actually resides in Kyiv at the address: 2 Filatova St. Additionally, he has often been spotted at Sereda's home, which may suggest cohabitation.

Particular attention is drawn to the fact that in the apartment located at 16 Yaroslav the Wise St. in Sumy, owned by Sereda, there is a branch of Industrial Bank. It is here, according to the deposit storage lease agreement between the bank and Sereda, that the 2 million US dollars are kept. Mazurenko periodically checks the storage personally to oversee the integrity of the funds.

Investigators have also discovered that Sereda may have been chosen by the tax official by design. It is known that Mazurenko has struggled with alcohol issues for a long time and has undergone coding procedures multiple times. However, each time he found a way to circumvent the restrictions and returned to alcohol abuse.

According to sources, colleagues have repeatedly noted his presence at work while under the influence of alcohol. In one instance, while intoxicated, he attempted to jump from the 5th floor of the State Tax Service building on Pokrovskaya Square in Sumy, but was stopped.

Subsequently, according to journalists, in addition to alcohol, Mazurenko began using drugs, specifically cocaine and marijuana. Despite numerous reports regarding his behavior, he ignored summonses to disciplinary hearings at the central office of the State Tax Service.

It is also known that Mazurenko refused to undergo a polygraph test regarding questions of illegal enrichment.

To mask his connections with Sereda, the tax official has recently allegedly begun to foster close ties with the head of the transfer pricing department, Svitlana Aborovska. However, he also did not declare her in his filings.

Journalists are investigating other potential abuses by Mazurenko, and a new wave of revelations is expected soon.