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
19 bld. 1, Barrikadnaya street,
Moscow, Russia
http://pik.press
