Monday, April 4, 2016

Media associated with Putin’s entourage offshore network in the $ 2 billion – RBC

Photo: Lori

« Putin Setting “brought from Russia via a network banks and shadow companies about $ 2 billion, according to the International consortium for investigative journalism (ICIJ)

The report of the International consortium of investigative journalism (ICIJ), published on April 3 states that people “out of the inner circle,” the Russian president Vladimir Putin was transferred through offshore companies at least $ 2 billion.

in his investigation of the journalists referred to the “unprecedented leak of millions of documents” from the database Mossack Fonseca, the fourth largest in the world of offshore law firm. Approximately 11.5 million documents were obtained by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and granted ICIJ and the Centre for the study of corruption and organized crime (OCCRP). According to the authors of the investigation, the paper reveals the extent of the “shadow economy” in which the world’s leading politicians involved, businessmen and “celebrity”. Search and examination of documents more than a year engaged members of ICIJ, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, and dozens of other publications.

Although Putin’s name does not appear in any of the documents, the data show that the “Friends of the President” made millions, according to a investigation. Way offshore chain begins in Panama goes through Russia, Switzerland and ends in Cyprus, writes ICIJ.

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told RBC that all comments on the document will later.

Offshore friends

Particular attention is paid to the investigation of “friend of Putin” Sergei Roldugin, through companies which allegedly took place hundreds of millions of dollars. His name called presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, announcing an “information box stuffing” against Putin last week (after RBC wrote what is known about Roldugin).

Roldugin was involved in a covert operation to gain control over the Russian truck manufacturer KamAZ, investigate the authors argue. According to them, in 2007 the “Troika Dialog” Ruben Vardanyan, which owns a large stake in the company, transferred all rights to manage their company Avtoinvest Ltd (she in turn managed KamAZ shares) offshore Avto Holdings Ltd. He earned the right to participate in shareholders’ meetings Avtoinvest and take 95% dividend. 15% of this unknown offshore company owned Roldugin through his company Sonnette Overseas, journalists write.

If “Autoinvest” won a majority in the KAMAZ company Roldugina have won the right to vote on all strategic issues of the activities of KamAZ, such as “statement business plan and budget “, and the sale of the automaker’s shares to foreign corporations, to be confirmed in the investigation. Vardanyan Sunday night did not respond to RBC request in this regard.

The authors of the investigation with reference to themselves in their possession documents also claim that, while the “Russian” Bank owned 16% established in the late 1990s ‘s, with the participation of Mikhail Lesin company Video International (now it is the largest media advertising market operator in Russia), an offshore company Roldugina, created with the help of the bank, “secretly” held another 12,5% Video International (Now Vi).

The lawyer representing in Vi, refused to answer questions ICIJ. A source at Vi told RBC that Roldugin never participated in the management of the company. From the official comments to the agency refused.

The investigation also referred to Russian businessman Yuri Kovalchuk, who, according to documents Mossack Fonseca, together with the bank “Russia” carried out the transfer of at least $ 1 billion in a specially created offshore company under called Sandalwood Continental. These funds allegedly received through a series of large unsecured loans from the controlled bank VTB Cyprus Russian Commercial Bank (RCB) and other state-owned banks. Why banks have agreed to open these lines of credit, the documents were not specified. But they suggest that Sandalwood Continental acquired the yacht for $ 6 million, which has been sent to the port near St. Petersburg.

Some of the money received from an RCB, as provided in the form of loans to Russian companies under extremely high interest rates, profit from these operations was to secret Swiss bank accounts, allegedly in the investigation.

in 2010 and 2011 Sandalwood Continental issued three loans amounting to $ 11.3 million, an offshore company called Ozon, owning elite ski resort “Igora” in the Leningrad region. Ozon is a co-owner of Kovalchuk, according to the investigation. A few months after the granting of loans at the resort “Igora” as previously wrote to Reuters, played by Katerina Tikhonova wedding, which the agency has named Putin’s daughter.

to prepare for the “stuffing»

Earlier this week, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is prepared against the “information box stuffing,” which claims to sensationalism. According to him, about upcoming publications became aware of the requests that are sent to the Kremlin media representatives. As noted Peskov, one such request is made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism.

Peskov specified that journalists ICIJ interested in information about the President personally, his “family, childhood friends of businessmen (Kovalchuk, Rothenberg), about some offshore companies of businessmen who Putin and never seen ».

Sands reported that the number of requests submitted from some western news agency, concerned the famous cellist Roldugina, godfather Putin and other daughter his youth. The second request is said Peskov, came from “a very well-known international news agency”, the name of which he did not specify.

On Thursday, March 31 Sands returned to the theme of “Information stuffing.” Asked whether it prevented, managed Sands said that the Kremlin is “very closely” monitor “information situation.” He said that “we are talking about the campaign, coupled with attempts to destabilize the situation in the country».

On the same day, Reuters published an article about partner Arkady Rotenberg Gregory Bayes, which is approved by the Agency, transfer, or sell property several women, “associated with President Vladimir Putin.” As pointed out to Reuters, Baevsky previously did not cause a lot of attention, but his relations with Putin opened a journalist Roman Anin, who conducted the investigation for OCCRP.

A spokesman for the president, commenting RBC publication to Reuters, called it “one of the” information “stuffing” of which the Kremlin said earlier. When asked whether the president’s administration to investigate the real estate transfer facts, Peskov replied in the negative.

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