The structure of the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska filed suit against the former head of the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump Paul Manafort and his assistant Richard Gates. Cyprus Surf Horizon Limited, owned by Deripaska, accuses Manafort and Gates of fraud for millions of dollars.

Surf Horizon Limited filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of New York. The lawsuit alleges that Manafort and Gates appropriated a portion of the $ 18.9 million Surf invested in Ukrainian telecommunications companies, known as Black Sea Cable. The billionaire's structure agreed to such investments on the advice of Manafort and Gates, the suit says. Surf planned to acquire Black Sea Cable through Cyprus-based Manaforta PEM Advisors Ltd. $ 18.9 million was transferred to its account in 2008.

Deripaska also claims to have paid $ 7.35 million. "More than $ 26 million was lost, and Surf's investment target was not available, but Manafort and Gates could not explain what happened," Surf states. However, in May 2017, Adoptol Limited, an affiliate with Surf, received "evidence" that the defendants "redirected themselves millions of dollars from what Surf paid to their companies."

"In the lawsuit, Surf requires compensation for damages (in the amount that the court will determine) incurred from the fraudulent actions of the defendants, terrible negligence, treacherous betrayal, predatory arbitrariness, and compensation of damages of $ 25 million," the document said.

Manafort and Gates are the defendants of the criminal case, instigated by special prosecutor Robert Mueller. In particular, they are suspected of refusing to register as ino agents and money laundering. Manafort is accused of working in the interests of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The representative of Oleg Deripaska back in October, promised Manaforte "obvious legal consequences" for "manipulating investments." What kind of investment is not discussed. The day before the statement by the representative of Deripaska, the American television channel NBC published an article in which it was told that the Russian billionaire and Manafort were connected by transactions for more than $ 60 million. NBC mentioned $ 26 million and $ 7 million in sum: in this amount, Oguster Management Ltd. issued loans to Manaforts related companies Yiakora Ventures Ltd., and LOAV Advisers Ltd. respectively.