Rucriminal.info continues to acquaint readers with the revelations made during interrogations by the ex-head of the European Express Bank Oleg Kuzmin. He entered into a pre-trial agreement and testified against more than ten owners, managers and employees of Russian banks involved in one of the largest laundering canals - the Laundromat. Among them there were many interesting characters, in respect of whom the investigators and officers of the Internal Security Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation are now actively working (they carry out operational support in the case). In Kuzmin's testimony, an extremely large “fish” also “emerges” - bankers who have not yet been charged in the “Laundromat case”, but in relation to whom operational work is underway. So, Kuzmin talks about the active role in the "Laundromat" of the ex-owners of Promsvyazbank, brothers Dmitry and Alexei Ananyev. "Through Promsvyazbank" various schemes were carried out, including promissory notes, through securities (shares, bonds), etc., aimed at withdrawing funds from the Russian Federation in favor of non-resident companies registered in various jurisdictions, including those belonging to " Promsvyazbank ”of the Cyprus subsidiary bank“ Promsvyazbank ”, which were“ externally ”legal in nature, but in fact were the withdrawal of funds from the Russian Federation .... After starting my work with "Moldindkonbank" (2013), I learned that a correspondent account "Moldindkonbank" was opened in "Promsvyazbank", as well as settlement accounts were opened for companies controlled by Platon V.N. When the European Express bank several times bought currency from Promsvyazbank on the interbank market and sold it to Moldindkonbank, from Platon Elena I received the details of the correspondent account of the Moldovan bank (Moldindkonbank), opened at Promsvyazbank, with the aim of “ deliveries "placement of currency, bought for its Moldovan bank, with its subsequent withdrawal from Russia", - said Kuzmin.

He also spoke about the role of Igor Sitnikov in the Laundromat. This is a very interesting character. He is the son of Galina Semyonovna Sitnikova, who has worked in the banking system since the 1990s. Previously, she worked as Deputy Director for Business Planning, Asset and Liability Management at Unikombank. Since the second half of the 1990s, she held the position of Deputy Governor of GTU No. 1 of the Bank of Russia in Moscow, oversaw the issues of control and supervision over the activities of credit institutions. In 1999-2001 she headed the Department of Licensing the Activities of Credit Institutions and Auditing Firms of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. As of 2002-2005, she held the position of Deputy Head of the Moscow State Technical University of the Bank of Russia. In 2005, she was appointed Head of GTU No. 2 of the Bank of Russia. Sitnikova's closest friend is now acting. Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia Tatyana Paramonova.

Igor Sitnikov, since the 2000s, has been constantly featured in the materials of investigators on illegal cashing, money laundering. He was testified by and witnesses in the Promsberbank case. According to their version, initially there was a single large group of shadow bankers, among which one can single out Evgeny Dvoskin, Ivan Myazin, Igor Sitnikov (his mother Galina once headed the 2nd branch of the Moscow State Technical University of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation), Alexei Kulikov and Andrey Rozov. Then the members of this group were divided, in particular Dvoskin and Rozov were carried away by various Crimean projects. However, they did not completely separate from Myazin and Co. As for Ivan and Sitnikov, they were at the forefront of the creation of Laundromat - the largest money laundering channel in the history of the CIS, recorded by the law enforcement agencies of Moldova, Russia and the Baltic countries. However, journalists called him "Laundromat". Myazin and his partners themselves called their "piece" the Meat channel. Presumably, this is an abbreviation for Myazin and Sitnikov. The services of this channel, through which more than $ 22 billion were withdrawn from Russia in total, were used by several structures.

Rucriminal.info introduces readers to a fragment of Kuzmin's interrogation.

 The investigator's question to the accused: How did Zheleziyak A.D., the owner of the Life group of companies, carry out the withdrawal of funds from Russia from ProBusinessBank?

 Response of the accused: In 2013, as far as I know, A.D. Zheleziyak was the owner of the Life group of companies. The group of companies "Life" consisted of three or four banks: the main bank was "ProBusinessBank", then Bank "Life" and others, which I do not remember.

In my bank “European Express” a client named Igor was serviced, I don’t remember his last name, for myself I called him Igor “Probusiness”, due to the fact that his brother named Alexander worked in the Treasury of “ProBusinessBank”. The circumstances of my acquaintance with Igor and Alexander I no longer remember after a long time. In the summer of 2013, Alexander organized my meeting with A. Zheleziyak, which took place in a restaurant, I do not remember the name, located on the street. Petrovka in Moscow, not far from the Marriot hotel, near the ProBiznessbank office

The purpose of my meeting was to work together with the Life group of companies, since this company, in addition to banks, included the insurance business, which I also planned to develop in my bank.

One of the issues that I discussed at the meeting with A. Zheleznyak was the opening of mutual correspondent accounts, including the work on the purchase and sale of foreign currency. I explained to A. Zheleznyak that I was already buying foreign currency on the interbank market and selling it, including to Moldindkonbank, and it would be interesting for me to work with its banks, including in the direction of buying and selling foreign currency. During that very first and last meeting, A. Zheleznyak formally agreed to joint interbank work and said that all questions regarding this work should be transferred through Alexander. However, in the future, despite the fact that we were preparing documents for joint work, no response from ProBusinessBank and the Life group of companies took place. During my repeated meetings with Alexander, the latter told me that ProBusinessBank is actively working with Moldindconbank, including according to the “Moldovan scheme”. Alexander told me that ProBusinessBank is working with significant volumes with Moldindconbank according to the “Moldovan scheme”. Whether apart from ProBusinessBank any other bank from their group of companies operated according to the “Moldovan scheme”, Alexander did not tell me, and I did not ask.

I do not know the details of the participation of A. Zheleznyak, Alexander from ProBusinessBank and other banks belonging to the Life group of companies in the implementation of the scheme for withdrawing funds from the Russian Federation, who opened current accounts for clients in his banks, on whose accounts, according to contrived the grounds were credited with funds, I do not know who else from the number of employees besides the indicated persons was involved in the withdrawal of funds from Russia, I do not know the amount of funds withdrawn, and also what commissions the participants received from participating in this scheme.

The question of the investigator to the accused: How did Ananyev D.N. did the owner of Promsvyazbank manage foreign exchange operations to withdraw funds from Russia from this bank?

Response of the accused: As far as I know, in 2011 the final beneficiaries were the Ananiev brothers, namely Alexey and Dmitry, they were before, I don’t remember from what period of time, Dmitry Ananyev was the actual head of Promsvyazbank. Through this bank, various schemes were carried out, including promissory notes, through securities (stocks, bonds), etc., aimed at withdrawing funds from the Russian Federation in favor of non-resident companies registered in various jurisdictions, including owned by Promsvyazbank Cypriot subsidiary bank Promsvyazbank, which were “outwardly” legal in nature, but in fact were the withdrawal of funds from the Russian Federation. To whom the non-resident companies registered in various jurisdictions were controlled to whose current accounts opened in various non-resident banks the funds were credited, I do not know.

After starting my work with "Moldindkonbank" (2013), I learned that a correspondent account "Moldindkonbank" was opened in "Promsvyazbank", as well as settlement accounts were opened for companies controlled by Platon V.N. When the European Express bank several times bought currency from Promsvyazbank on the interbank market and sold it to Moldindkonbank, from Platon Elena I received the details of the correspondent account of the Moldovan bank (Moldindkonbank), opened at Promsvyazbank, with the aim of “ deliveries ”placement of currency, purchased for its Moldovan bank, with its subsequent withdrawal from Russia.

 In 2013, I met with Dmitry Ananyev in a cafe in Moscow, where I don’t remember exactly where, in order to open a correspondent account for Evropeyskiy Express Bank in Promsvyazbank. At this meeting, D. Ananyev confirmed that he had a correspondent account at Moldindkonbank, that they were actively working with him, but he did not go into the details of the work. At a meeting with D. Ananyev, the latter then refused to open a correspondent account for the European Express bank in his bank without explaining the reasons.

During my work with "Moldindconbank", when financial transactions were carried out through "Promsvyazbank", Platon Elena confirmed the execution of these transactions within a very short time, that is, thereby confirming that "Promsvyazbank" works according to the "Moldovan scheme". I do not know the details of the participation of the Ananyev brothers Alexei and Dmitry from Promsvyazbank in the implementation of the scheme for withdrawing funds from the Russian Federation, who opened current accounts for clients in their bank, to whose accounts, on far-fetched grounds, funds were credited, who else from the number of employees other than those indicated of persons was involved in the withdrawal of funds from Russia, I do not know the amount of funds withdrawn from this bank, and also what commissions the participants received from participating in this scheme.

More for the participation of the Ananiev brothers, namely Alexei and Dmitry from Promsvyazbank in "Moldovan scheme", I have nothing to say.

The investigator's question to the accused: What was the criminal role of IV Sitnikov, the owner of Investtorgbank, in the “Moldovan scheme”?

Answer of the accused: I met Igor Vitalievich Sitnikov more than 15 years ago. I no longer remember the circumstances of my acquaintance with him. For all the time of my acquaintance with him, Sitnikov I.V. owned several banks, including "Russian Financial Traditions", "Futures", "Investtorgbank" and others, which I do not remember. Some of his banks were sold to them, some banks were deprived of their licenses. During my acquaintance with I.V. Sitnikov, the latter repeatedly confirmed to me that he knew Oleg Leonidovich Vlasov, and in 2014 he confirmed to me that he knew Platon Vyacheslav very well.

The fact that Vyacheslav had the surname Platon, I learned from Sitnikov I.V. From a conversation with him (Sitnikov I.V.) it became clear to me that Sitnikov I.V. and Platon V.N. know each other for a long time and interact closely, including with his bank "Moldindconbank" according to the "Moldovan scheme".

Directly owned by IV Sitnikov, “Investtorgbank” did not accept the work under the “Moldovan scheme”. Sitnikov I.V. he worked according to the “Moldovan scheme”, including through the bank of O. L. Vlasov - “Baltika”.

In 2015, I at Sitnikov I.V. the bank "Investtorgbank" was acquired. The acquisition of this bank was completed in April 2015. In June 2015, as a result of a traffic accident, I ended up in hospital. In late July-early August 2015, I learned that in Investtorgbank all operational management was carried out by A. Morales-Eskomilie, A. Galkin. Gatsukov Gennady became the acting chairman of the board (signer) of the bank. All bank employees who were hired by me at Investtorgbank were dismissed by these persons. Morales-Eskomilje A. and Galkin A. ordered the security of the said bank not to let me into it, as it turned out later, in connection with my financial obligations to Platon V.N., which arose as a result of the revocation of the license from the European Express Bank.

During my stay in the hospital, I learned that Platon V.N., Vlasov OL. and Sitnikov AND.The. agreed among themselves about the bankruptcy of Investtorgbank. In August, September 2015, all liquid assets were withdrawn from the specified bank under various schemes by Morales-Eskomilje A., Galkin A. and replaced by unsecured loans issued to one-day firms that do not conduct real financial and economic activities. Most of the liquid assets ended up in Baltika Banks and Smart Bank, which were later transferred to Yenisei Bank, and which were subsequently transferred to A. Morales-Eskomilya, A. Galkin, N. Galkin, and Vlasov, controlled by About company residents. Have Sitnikov AND.The. and Platon V.N. I do not know any assets from Investtorgbank, Investtorgbank's license was revoked on October 5, 2015. As far as I know, G. Gatsukov was a signatory at Smart Bank and Baltika Bank, that is, he signed all documents on the withdrawal of assets from these banks. Gatsukov G. did not participate in the “Moldovan scheme”.

To be continued

Timofey Grishin