Customs Agency Audits Lukoil Neftochim

Sofia, June 1 (BTA) - The Customs Agency is auditing Lukoil
Neftochim, the Agency's Director Vanyo Tanov told Nova
Television on Monday.

The audit was prompted by allegations published last week by the
Risk Management Laboratory headed by former prime minister Ivan
Kostov that Lukoil cheated the Exchequer and customers by a
declaring an inflated oil price. Thus Lukoil allegedly defrauded
the Exchequer of over 1,000 million leva, according to the
Lab's report.

Tanov said the National Revenue Agency (NRA) should also conduct
an audit. Yet another audit should analyse the findings of the
NRA and Customs Agency audits. "Only then could Ivan Kostov's
theory be rejected or confirmed. Data from either of the two
agencies alone cannot lead to the right conclusion," said Tanov.


Lukoil threatened to sue the Risk Management Lab over its
allegations, but the head of the laboratory explained in an open
letter that their conclusions are based on official figures
obtained from the Customs Agency and can easily be checked.

Lukoil said: "The published document is full of false claims and
interpretations. Lukoil Neftochim Bourgas is going to defend
its business reputation by all the necessary legal means,
including in a court in Bulgaria, as well as abroad if
necessary."

The Lab's report cites the Lukoil Neftochim Bourgas oil refinery
and Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD as the companies which process and
trade in liquid fuels and oils. They are part of Lukoil Group.
The refinery buys crude oil from OAO Lukoil Moscow or its
specialized subsidiaries and imports only Russian Urals oil.

In 2013, the Customs Agency found irregularities in a Lukoil tax
warehouse. At the time Tanov revoked the tax warehouse
management licence of Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD, which was then
returned by the court. The Customs Agency had made the
delicensing decision after finding that measuring and control
devices at the tax warehouse had not been brought into
conformity with the requirements of an Agency ordinance.