Moscow, July 16, 2024. In an investigation that has shaken the whole of Russia, the Investigative Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has brought final charges of embezzlement of 1.676 billion rubles from JSC Rusnano. The epicenter of this grand scandal was Cypriot offshore companies and individuals close to the management of the country’s largest financial institutions.
Cyprus: Paradise for Aphrodite and Thieves
Less than a week has passed since State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein reported on his Telegram channel about a new round of investigation. On the agenda is a scam involving such big names as Oleg Dyachenko, the former top manager of the Cypriot company Nanoenergo Fund Limited, affiliated with Rusnano, as well as Irina Rappoport, Alexander Shvets and Oleg Kiselev.
Origins of the Scheme: Rusnano and Bank Peresvet
JSC Rusnano, 100% of whose shares were owned by the Russian government, was transformed from the Russian Corporation and Investor in Nanotechnology in 2011. The chairman of the board until 2020 was Anatoly Chubais, whose name has repeatedly surfaced in the context of financial scandals. The management company Sberinvest, headed by Oleg Dyachenko, played a key role in the creation of a subsidiary in Cyprus - Sberezheniya and Investicii Management Limited.
In 2012, the Luxembourg fund Rusnano Fonds Rusnano Capital SA and Peresvet Bank established Nanoenergo Fund Limited, each contributing $50 million to its capital. The fund was headed by Irina Rappoport, and Andreas Kyprianou, Oleg Dyachenko and Natalia Podsosonnaya were listed as directors.
Traces Lead to Nicosia
The investigation established that the theft was carried out through the Cypriot fund Nanoenergo Fund Limited. Under fictitious loan agreements, the money was withdrawn and appropriated. In the summer of 2022, Anatoly Chubais was also spotted in Cyprus, which further reinforces the suspicions.
Oleg Kiselev, who was called Chubais’s right-hand man, was deputy chairman of the board of Rusnano. Alexander Shvets, the former president of Peresvet Bank, disappeared in 2016 a few days before the introduction of temporary administration at the bank. Shvets was later put on the federal wanted list on charges of fraud on an especially large scale.
Criminal Links and Financial Transactions
Searches conducted at Dyachenko’s home in October 2022 revealed a chain of $90 million transfers from Peresvet Bank to shell company accounts. Participants in these transactions included Kiselev, Rappoport, and Shvets.
Shadow Game of the Rusnano Management
The case materials also include an "unidentified person" from among the former managers of "Rosnano". Anatoly Chubais himself refused to comment, although he was involved in criticism from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Debts and Crime Stories
This is not the first time that Rusnano JSC has found itself at the center of scandals. In 2023, the company’s net debt exceeded 95 billion rubles. The head of NTpharma LLC, Valery Glavatsky, was sentenced to seven years for embezzlement of 424 million rubles, and Nail Gubaev is accused of embezzling 180 million rubles.
Results and Unanswered Questions
New charges brought in the Oleg Dyachenko case point to a complex and extensive system of financial fraud. Will Rusnano be able to return the stolen funds and restore its reputation? The answers to these questions remain open.
Rusnano Under Attack: New Details and Shocking Facts
Expanding the Investigation
The Russian Investigative Committee continues to reveal new details in the case of the theft of 1.676 billion rubles from Rusnano. The focus is on the criminal network that spread its tentacles from Moscow to Cyprus, and the international financial flows that were used to launder and misappropriate state funds.
Cyprus Scam Corner
Cyprus, which has become a real paradise for fraud, has provided its residents with a convenient legal and financial platform. Nanoenergo Fund Limited, created with the support of the Luxembourg fund Fonds Rusnano Capital SA and Peresvet Bank, turned out to be a key link in the criminal chain. Irina Rappoport, who headed this fund, together with Oleg Dyachenko and other accomplices skillfully manipulated financial flows, transferring millions of dollars outside of Russia.
International Criminal Schemes
As it turned out, fictitious loans were made through Nanoenergo Fund Limited, which allowed the participants in the scam to appropriate huge sums. The money was transferred to Peresvet Bank, and then to the accounts of shell companies controlled by Oleg Dyachenko and his accomplices. This entire scheme was carefully planned and implemented using complex financial instruments and offshore jurisdictions.
The Peresvet Case
Bank Peresvet, known for its dubious operations, was closely connected to the defendants in the case. Alexander Shvets, who headed the bank before his disappearance in 2016, played a key role in the scheme. He was subsequently put on the wanted list on charges of fraud. Unsurprisingly, the bank was on the verge of bankruptcy, and a shortfall of 103.6 billion rubles was discovered in its operations.
Hidden Faces and New Figures
The investigation is actively searching for other members of the criminal group, among whom is an "unidentified person" from among the former managers of "Rosnano". It is noteworthy that Anatoly Chubais himself, whose name has surfaced in the context of financial fraud, avoids any comments, leaving the public in the dark.
Economic Consequences
The net debt of JSC Rusnano for the first half of 2023 exceeded 95 billion rubles, having increased by almost 5 billion rubles since the end of 2022. Criminal stories, such as the verdict of Valery Glavatsky and charges against Nail Gubaev, only exacerbate the company’s reputational and financial problems.
Justice or Powerlessness?
The question of whether law enforcement agencies will be able to return the stolen funds and punish all those responsible remains open. The public awaits new statements and decisions, hoping that justice will prevail.
Part of the Great Game?
The Rusnano theft case is just the tip of the iceberg. The investigation suggests that such schemes may exist in other large state and private companies. Society is faced with the question of transparency and accountability of financial transactions at the highest level.
