Russian businessman Sergei Gordeev can testify in the case of Suleiman Kerimov, who is detained in Nice

Russian businessman Sergei Gordeev, majority shareholder and president of PIK Group, can testify in the case of Suleiman Kerimov detained by law enforcers in Nice, who in 2009-2013 was one of the largest shareholders in PIK Group.

The AFP agency reported quoting its sources that Kerimov is suspected of concealing tens of millions of euros from the tax authorities when buying a villa on the Cote d'Azur at second hand. Kerimov may be one of the largest owners of real estate, although his name is not officially concerned with any property, the spring edition of Nice-Matin reported.

Let us remember that in 2009 Suleiman Kerimov became the owner of a 25% stake in PIK Group, increasing it later. In late 2013, he sold a 36% stake in PIK Group to Sergei Gordeev and Alexander Mamut. According to our sources, Suleiman Kerimov is willing to tell French law enforcement authorities about money-laundering, tax evasion in 2009-2017, as well as real estate and money on accounts of a number of Russian officials and businessmen in European and American banks, including Sergei Gordeev, who owns a number of companies and real estate in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Cyprus. Therefore, it is quite possible that in order to protect his assets, companies and to avoid arrest in Europe and the US the current owner of PIK Group will also testify for European law enforcement authorities concerning the affairs of Suleiman Kerimov, since he has certain information on Kerimov's business.

We remind that in May 2017 Russian law enforcement authorities searched the main office of PIK Group in the criminal case of inflicting damage on the Dynamo sports society.

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in Europe and a number of other countries became much more active in its requests for information on Russians. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the next year a new sanction list of Russian oligarchs and officials will be announced. The unclassified document will contain information on their assets, including those of foreign origin. Sergei Gordeev will also be on the list.

Natalya Sobol,

PR-manager

press@pik.press

tel. +7 (495) 505-97-33

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Moscow, Russia

http://pik.press