According to investigators, the ex-owner of Baltika withdrew more than 46 billion rubles from the bank’s accounts to Moldova. He was accused of leading a criminal community and committing foreign exchange transactions using forged documents.
The Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow sentenced the former owner of Baltika Bank Oleg Vlasovaccused of withdrawing more than 46 billion rubles from Russia, to 17 years in a strict regime colony, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia reported.
According to the investigation, in the period from June 2013 to April 2014, Vlasov, as part of a criminal community, transferred over 46 billion rubles. in foreign currency from the accounts of Baltika Bank to the bank accounts of a non-resident – the Moldovan bank Moldindconbank. “At the same time, Russian credit institutions that have the authority of an agent of currency control of documents were provided with deliberately false information about the grounds, purposes and purpose of the transfer,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Vlasov pleaded guilty to committing crimes under Part 3 of Art. 210 of the Criminal Code (leadership of a criminal community) and paras. “a”, “b” part 3 of Art. 193.1 of the Criminal Code (currency transactions to the accounts of non-residents using false documents). The maximum punishment under Part 3 of Art. 210 of the Criminal Code provides for up to 20 years in prison, under Part 3 of Art. 193.1 of the Criminal Code – up to ten years in prison.
The prosecutor’s office also noted that earlier, by the Moscow district courts, the leaders and members of the criminal community were convicted for the illegal withdrawal of more than 126 billion rubles from Russia. and sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine to 19 years. “The following were confiscated to the state’s income: their real estate objects located in Moscow, the Moscow Region and St. Petersburg with a total value of 1.4 billion rubles; vehicles; cash in excess of 3.1 million US dollars, 41.2 thousand euros, 2.4 thousand francs; jewelry,” the ministry added.
Vlasov was detained in Moscow in May 2020. RBC’s source then reported that he was suspected of withdrawing funds from Russia through the so-called Moldovan pattern. RBC’s interlocutor clarified that Moldovan businessmen were involved in this scheme Vyacheslav Platon, Vladimir Plahotniuc and previously arrested Alexander Korkin.
How the “Moldovan scheme” worked
A loan agreement was concluded between two foreign companies, which no one was going to fulfill, and citizens of Moldova and Russian firms acted as guarantors for it. After the delay in the loan, the creditor applied to the Moldovan court with a claim against the debtor and his guarantors. Citizens of Moldova were involved in the scam precisely so that the case could be considered in the local court. After a decision was made in favor of the plaintiff, the writ of execution was sent to Moldindconbank.
At the same time, settlement accounts of companies acting as guarantors for loans were opened in the Russian banks involved in the scheme, to which funds were credited ostensibly for conversion into foreign currency.
Then the money went to Moldindconbank accounts opened in the USA and Germany. Moldovan and Russian banks imitated foreign exchange transactions until the companies’ funds were seized in accordance with the decisions of the Moldovan courts. After that, they were transferred to foreign banks (mainly EU countries) to the accounts of the plaintiffs, foreign companies controlled by members of the organized criminal group. Thus, millions of US dollars and euros were withdrawn daily through Russian banks.