Media associated the network of offshore companies worth $2 billion with Putin's entourage

"Putin's entourage" siphoned off about $2 billion from Russia through a network of banks and shadow companies, according to the International Consortium for Investigative Journalism (ICIJ).
04.04.2016
RBC
Origin source
The report of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ), which was published on April 3 states that people "out of the inner circle," Russian President Vladimir Putin, was transferred through at least $ 2 billion in offshore companies.

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. 11.5 million documents were obtained by German newspaper «Süddeutsche Zeitung» and made available to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Centre for the study of corruption and organized crime (OCCRP).

While the president's name does not appear in any of the documents, 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 in the documents relied upon by ICIJ, given "friend of Putin" Sergei Roldugin. He amassed a fortune worth at least $ 100 million, according to a investigation. Surname Roldugina called the president's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, anonsirovaya "stuffing information" against Putin last week. RBC recounts Roldugin .

Roldugin endeavored to secretly gain control over KamAZ utverzhayut investigative authors. According to them, in 2007 the "Troika Dialogue" Ruben Vardanyan, which owns a large stake in the company, transferred all rights to manage their company Avtoinvest Ltd (managed the KAMAZ shares) offshore Avto Holdings Ltd, received the right to participate in the meeting Avtoinvest shareholders and to take away 95% dividends. 15% of this unknown offshore company owned by his company Roldugin Sonnette Overseas, journalists write.

Under the deal, the company received Roldugina potential voting rights on all aspects of the functioning of KamAZ, such as "approval of the business plan and budget" and the consent of the catoromu foreign corporations will be able to invest in the company, if the "Autoinvest" will receive its majority.

The authors of the investigation with reference to themselves in their possession documents also claim that, while the "Russian" Bank owned 16% was established in the late 1990s, with the participation of Mikhail Lesin company Video International, the offshore company Roldugina, created with the help of the bank, «secretly» still held 12,5% Video International (currently VI).

The lawyer representing the VI of, refused to answer questions ICIJ. Source in the VI RBC said 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 called Sandalwood Continental. These funds were transferred through a series of large unsecured loans from the state-controlled Russian Commercial Bank (RCB), located in Cyprus, and other state-owned banks. Whythe banks have agreed to open these lines of credit, the documents were not specified.

Some of the money received from an RCB, as provided in the form of credits in Russian at extremely high interest rates, profit from them went to secret Swiss bank accounts, allegedly in the investigation. Sandalwood Continental. It acquired the yacht for $ 6 million, which has been sent to the port near St. Petersburg.

In 2010 and 2011 Sandalwood Continental issued three loans amounting to $ 11.3 million, an offshore company called Ozon, owner of an elite ski resort Igor 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 Igor, as previously wrote to Reuters, played by Katerina Tikhonova wedding, which the agency has named Putin's daughter.

Prepare for "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 known due to requests thatThe Kremlin sent the representatives of the media. As noted Peskov, one such request is made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ).

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 by some of the Western Information Agency, concerned the famous cellist Roldugina, godfather Putin's daughter and a friend of his youth. The second request is said Peskov, came from "a very well-known international news agency", the name of which presidential spokesman 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 pagebut not".

On the same day, Reuters published an article about partner Arkady Rotenberg Gregory Bayes , which is approved by the Agency, transfer, or sell real estate to several women "associated with President Vladimir Putin." As noted 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.

Presidential spokesman, commenting on the publication of the RBC 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.

Information stuffing: what is known about other president Sergei Roldugina
RBC, 29.03.2016

Six facts about the life and business of the famous musician, who, according to Kremlin sources, is at the center of new information attack on the Russian leader

In announcing on Monday "the next informationnny stuffing "against President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov read a few questions from some of the Western Information Agency, which, in his opinion, testify about the content of the upcoming attack. Among other things, Peskov said, reporters asked about the famous cellist Sergei Roldugina, the godfather of the president's daughter and a friend of his youth.

old friend

Roldugin Putin and almost the same age (65 and 63 years, respectively), but grew up in various cities. Putin spent his childhood in Leningrad. Roldugin born in Sakhalin, and graduated from music school in Riga, in Leningrad, he had studied at the Conservatory, where he graduated at the same time, when Putin graduated from Leningrad State University in 1975.

With musician Putin introduced his older brother, Eugene, said in 2014 in an interview with "Evening Kazan" he Roldugin. According to him, Eugene studied with the future president of the Red Banner Institute of the KGB (Putin graduated in 1985). When exactly was this knowledge, he did not elaborate.

"My brother gave me a phone number inolodi, when I went to Leningrad to serve in the army - described Roldugin meeting with Putin. - I called him when escaped AWOL. I climbed over the fence. I called, and Vladimir came. In "The Cossacks" without silencer! We rode all night. "

"We Vovka after work sometimes went to the Philharmonic - such memories Roldugina contained in the book about Putin" First Person "(2000). - He asked me how to listen to symphonic music. " Also, he said, he and Putin were playing football: "I played much better football. But he lost, because he was tenacious as a bulldog. " In the book, the common friend of both called and another well-known friend of the president - St. Petersburg wrestler and now a State Duma deputy from the "United Russia" Vasily Shestakov - all three of them went to a sports camp on the eve of Putin's departure the service in the GDR.

Shestakov told RBC that does not remember the circumstances of familiarity with Roldugin and Putin, but it was "somewhere in the eighties" in total company. Roldugina he described as a "decent man."

As a friend of Putin, Roldugin became the godfather of his eldest daughter Mary, written in 2014, The New York Times.

"I know they (Putin and Roldugin -. RBC) really friends, - told RBC Mariinsky Theatre soloist Ildar Abdrazakov. - Sergey is a very positive person with a wonderful sense of humor. "

Roldugina Brother since also did not get lost.

Eugene Roldugin full namesake brother Sergei, listed on the official "Gazprom" as a site director of the company offices in Riga. In the 2010 edition of "Marker" claimed that he is the brother of the cellist. office phone is not answered in Riga. In "Gazprom" declined to comment on his family connections manager.

Musician and philanthropist

When RBC correspondent phoned Sergei Roldugin on a mobile phone, the phone took off the woman, saying that he is busy with the rehearsals and will not be able to speak. Roldugin - a well-known musician, conductor and music manager.

All the time, while Putin has built his political career, Roldugin doing music. In 1980, he won a bronze medal at the Internationalth Cello Competition "Prague Spring". From 1984 to 2003, according to the biography on the website of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he was the first soloist cellist of the orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre.

In 2002 Roldugin became vice-rector for scientific work of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and in 2003 became the rector, succeeding headed it for a quarter of a century Vladislav Chernushenko. The newspaper "Vedomosti" wrote that Roldugin may even become the next minister of culture, however, in April 2004, this post was the rector of the Moscow Conservatory Alexander Sokolov. In November 2004, Roldugin left the conservatory. In his farewell speech to the Academic Council, he said, he could no longer combine the creative and administrative activities. Head of the Federal Agency for Culture Mikhail Shvydkoi, then explained his departure that Roldugin just wants to make music, and the post of the rector takes him a long time.

However, the administrative work only increases. In 2005, an old friend came to the President with the idea of ​​the construction of the St. Petersburg House of Music, and,about the words of Roldugina, president liked the idea. In the same year the Ministry of Culture transferred to the House of Music building Alexis Palace on the Moika River. Restored palace on the funds of the charity fund "Constantine" and from the city budget, giving it 800 million rubles. In 2008, Putin attends the opening of the restored House of Music.

In addition to all the above Roldugin - also chairman and founder of the Foundation "The talent and success." This fund, together with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Sports is the founder of "Sirius" charity fund. "In Sochi, built educational center for gifted children of Russia on the basis of the Olympic buildings. There are selected children from 11 to 15 years who have shown talents in sports, science, music and ballet. Children come to Sochi, and they invited the best Russian professors, teachers and trainers on their profile "- described the work of" Sirius "Roldugin in an interview Belcanto.ru This project came up with Putin, he stressed in an interview with the musician.


However, for the administrative work of the famous cellist still did not forget the music - at least when it helped friendship. Speaking to New York Times in 2014, Roldugin remembered as a year before he came to Putin's request, together with three young musicians (violin, clarinet and piano) at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, to give a special chamber concert. Played by Mozart, Weber and Tchaikovsky, remembered Roldugin. Putin so pleased that the next night he asked the musicians to play again - for exactly the same number of high-ranking participants. "It was a very well-known people ... almost everything under sanctions", - the musician described as public, without naming names.

Partner of the president's friends

Roldugin - not only the head of eachstate, it is connected with many other business acquaintances Petrograd President (Roldugina on participation in the capital of bank "Russia", together with Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk and the others see. below).

In the 1990s, Sergei Roldugin with classmate of Vladimir Putin, Nikolai Egorov was listed as one of the founders of "Petrointeroyl". It wrote political analyst Vladimir Pribylovsky in his study. Roldugin owned 50% of the company Egorov directly owned 10% and 17% controlled by "St. Petersburg Intertrade". In 10% of "Petrointeroyle" was Vladimir Yakovlev, and Nikolai Hrameshkina. According to the register, "Petrointeroyl" really registered in August 1993, and in 2006 it was liquidated. The company engaged in the discharge USRLE not specified, the data about who was among the founders of the company, in the statement is also no.

Egorova representative at the time of publication of the material has not responded to a request to RBC.

Petersburg lawyer Nikolay Egorov is renowned for being given a boost Putin's political career by recommending him to the then mayor of St. Peteburg Anatoly Sobchak to work in the Committee on Foreign Affairs. This fact wrote scientific director Yuri Yegorov Tolstoy to sketch the 60th anniversary of the lawyer (published in the 2007 "Law" journal). In the presidential election in 2000 Egorov was a confidant of Putin. In the early 1990s, Egorov, together with partners established the law firm "Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners", which among other things represented the interests of the Russian side in a murder case in Qatar Chechen separatist Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev alleged agents of the GRU.

Shareholder 'personal bank for a narrow circle of close "

Roldugin owns 3.2% of shares of "Russian" of the bank, according to information published on the bank's website. Him company Yury Kovalchuk, Gennady Timchenko, Nikolai Shamalov, Alexei Mordashov and others. The bank came under US sanctions in 2014, the Obama administration calls its "own bank for a narrow circle of" close to Putin's people.

Roldugin himself says (his quotes The New York Times), he does not have millions, and all his state paper, catRoe The New York Times estimated at $ 350 million in 2014, was formed by the fact that many years ago he bought a stake "in a small jar, which was run by people close to his old friend Vladimir Putin."

Now the capital of the bank "Russia" - 57.4 billion rubles. Managing partner of the National Agency for Financial Studies Samiev Paul, who previously as director of the agency "Expert RA" is rated "Russia" offers to evaluate the bank on the multiplier of 0.3 to the capital (with multiplier trading bank "St. Petersburg", which is comparable to "Russia" on the financial performance). In this case, Roldugina share is estimated at 550 million rubles. excluding discounts for non-public bank and its occurrence in the sanctions list.

Bank pays dividends. During 2014 he paid 220 rubles. per share, or 559 million rubles., had 18 million rubles per share Roldugina. Interlocutor RBC familiar with the management of "Russian", says Roldugin never participated in the management of the bank.

Regional media mogul

Roldugin together with partner non-profitth Partnership "Supporting children's sport" Vladislav Kopylov November 2005 in equal shares owned by the company "Surf", and from November 2009 to November 2012 were registered partners are co-founders of "Wave" (SPARK data, phone companies are the same). In October 2015 "Surf" was liquidated, and the "Wave" in 2012 monitors the son of the former head of the Baltic Media Group (BMG) Oleg Rudnova Sergei.

What did the "wave" and "Surf"? In the 2000s, the company played an important role in the media life of St. Petersburg, as through them Roldugin and Kopylov allegedly controlled BMG. In 2003, the media group organized and led the St. Petersburg journalist and media manager Oleg Rudnov. It includes "Radio Baltika", TV channel "TV 100" (now the «Life 78"), the newspaper "Neva time", "Change", "Evening Petersburg" and the Baltic news agency.

In 2004, the "Surf" received 100% of the company "Baltika", the phone which coincides with the data of the same name station, part of the BMG. "Surf" controlled "Baltic" until 2007 thand then through a series of owners of 100% of the company went to "Wave". In July 2015, "Baltika" was eventually owned by the company "SPB News" (75% owned by the son of Oleg Rudnova Sergei, and 25% - Aram Gabrelyanov).

Gabrelyanov long worked with the National Media Group (NMG), founded in 2008, all with the same Yuri Kovalchuk and his partners from "Severstal" and "Surgutneftegaz". LMWH did not disclose the share of owners, but before the introduction of the US Treasury sanctions Kovalchuk was considered a controlling shareholder of the holding company.

Gabrelyanov describing RBC his entry into the business of "Baltika", said he bought 25% of the Baltic Media Group Sergei Rudnova. About dealings with Rudnova Roldugin and Kopylov Gabrelyanov does not know the amount of his transactions, he did not name.

A member of "Waves" RBC has offered to contact the legal department, after which the company stopped answering calls.

Football functionary

Perhaps Roldugin has been linked to another important aspect of the life of the northern capital - sports.

Although the company "Piboy "Roldugina and Kopylov liquidated in October 2015, it is still listed founder of the nonprofit organization" Fund of development and support of the media "(the founders of the new fund in databases is not reflected). Phone this fund coincides with the phone "Waves" and "Surf" and "Baltika" radio station.

According to SPARC, the fund owns 10.8% in the "Zenith" football club. The controlling stake in the club - Gazprombank (over 51%). Two other holder of large blocks - "Gazprom Transgaz" and "Sibur". According to the financial statements, in 2014, "Zenith" has received 6.1 billion rubles revenue. and a net loss of 5.2 billion rubles.

The representative of the "Zenith" Jeanne Dembo said RBC that the fund - and is now a shareholder of the club. "Media Development Fund and support has historically been a shareholder of" Zenith club ", before the advent among the co-owners of Gazprombank. This fund was created by Oleg Rudnova ", - she said.