PNB Banka formerly Norvik Banka

In December 2013, Russian investor Grigory Guselnikov became the owner of a controlling stake in Norvik Banka.

Russian Norvik Guselnikov continues to work in Russia for 2019.

2023: Attempt to withdraw 15 million euros from Russia to the bank administrator

In February 2023, it became known that the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia, participating in the arbitration proceedings, prevented the withdrawal of assets abroad for €15 million. The administrator of the insolvent Latvian PNB Banka (formerly Norvik Banka) hoped to get them. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen previously spoke as deputy chairman of the bank's board.

2019

Seizure of accounts of 10 Ukrainian IT companies

In December 2019, it became known about the arrest of accounts of 10 Ukrainian IT companies in the Latvian PNB Banka. The victims wrote a letter to Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Dmitry Kulebe, Novoye Vremya reports with reference to a copy of this message.

Lawyers representing the interests of the affected firms refused to tell which companies were in question. The letter says that they cannot even receive 100 thousand euros of guaranteed payment due to arrest.

Accounts with millions of euros 10 Ukrainian IT companies arrested in Latvian PNB Banka

We are concerned about the practice towards  Ukrainian, mainly IT companies that were clients of the Latvian bank PNB Banka, to make a guaranteed payment.  In the process of preparing and submitting the documents necessary to receive the amount of the guaranteed payment in the amount of 100 thousand euros, they received a message from the Latvian Financial Intelligence Service that their accounts were arrested, and the companies themselves were accused of money laundering and financing terrorism!, - said in the letter.

One of the lawyers, on the basis of anonymity, told the publication that it got to the point of absurdity when the client submitted the necessary documents through the current representative offices, and then after a while he became aware that the power of attorney from the employees of the representative office was either revoked or expired. That is, the documents were accepted, but did not have the right to do this, the source said.

The interlocutors of the publication categorically refused to name the companies whose money was arrested in Latvia. Frozen amounts of money are also unknown. The publication only says that we are talking about millions of euros.

According to the authors of the letter, the bank notified about the blocking of the accounts of the IT company, which have been its clients for more than 5 years, always passed all checks of the financial institution and did not arouse suspicion.^[1]

The bank stopped working

According to the Latvian Finance and Capital Market Commission (FKTK) in August 2019, PNB Banka, formerly called Norvik Banka, suspended its work.

In accordance with the decision of the Latvian Commission, from 21:00 on August 15, PNB is obliged to stop providing financial services, including the execution of payment transactions of customers.

The reason for the suspension of PNB Banka is the potential financial difficulties in this credit institution, which were recorded by the EU Central Bank.

Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins called the situation in the country's banking sector stable, and the decision of the KRFK to stop the work of PNB Banka is evidence of effective supervision.

At the end of 2018, PNB banka ranked 6th in Latvia in terms of assets. He had almost 100 thousand clients, 40% of whom are elderly people.

The Latvian Norvik Banka of Grisha Guselnikov lay down, which was renamed PNB Banka after the scandals.

The decision to suspend PNB was made by the European Central Bank, as the bank and its customers may face financial difficulties.

The commission's decision provides that the bank is obliged to stop providing financial services and making payments to customers.

"Such a decision was made to prevent the outflow of funds from the bank. This means that from that moment on, the work of payment cards, ATMs and PNB Internet banks has been suspended, "the commission said.

2014

Norvik Banka acquires 97.75% stake in Vyatka Bank

On October 8, 2014, the Latvian commercial bank Norvik Banka became the main shareholder of Vyatka-Bank. Opidius Holdings Limited (Cyprus) has terminated the right to dispose of the bank's shares in the amount of 97.75%, while Norvik Banka (Riga) has the right to dispose of these shares.

Note that the owner of a controlling stake in Norvik Banka, Grigory Guselnikov, also heads the board of directors of Vyatka-Bank and previously controlled it through Opidius Holdings Limited.

Increase in the bank's capital by 70 million euros

In October 2014, Delfi Business reported that Guselnikov increased the bank's authorized capital by almost 70 million euros. According to the online publication, the Russian financier has ambitious plans for the development of Norvik Banka and intends to turn it into "one of the most technologically developed universal banks in Northern Europe."

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