Russobank

2020: The former head of bank M. Weinstein claims that the bank was deprived by licenses because of failure to pay bribes

As Kommersant knew in April, 2020, the investigator of ICR dealing with high-profile criminal case of the former chief of bank department of management "K" of FSB of the Russian Federation Kirill Cherkalin accused of corruption refused to recognize by the victim on this case the former head of JSB Russobank Mark Weinstein. The ex-banker claims that his credit institution was deprived by licenses after he refused to pay to the security officer €500 thousand requested by it for the general protection. On such bribes, according to the financier, the colonel Cherkalin also scared together the fortune estimated by the investigation in 6.3 billion rubles Weinstein disputes the solution of the investigation in courts of different levels.

The other day mister Weinstein, large biznemen, specializing in banking, investments into construction and trade in antiques, addressed the commission chairman on ethics of judicial council Anjelica Klyueva. He asks in the application to consider at its meeting the "red tape" allowed, according to him, in Basmanny district court by consideration of complaints to failure to act of investigators of Office for the investigation of particularly important cases of ICR.

The banker believes that at first his rights were violated by the head of the operational investigative group of ICR dealing with criminal case of the colonel Cherkalin who did not want to recognize him by the victim on case. Then — the judge of Basmanny district court to whom he complained of the investigator, but did not achieve result. The answer from the Ethics Commission the author did not receive the complaint yet.

The ex-banker who is constantly living at this time abroad told Kommersant^[1]that in the summer of 2018 itself began to look for an opportunity to meet the colonel of FSB Cherkalin who then was responsible for counterprospecting ensuring activity of the Central Bank and DIA. Need for it appeared after in June, 2018 Russobank received the instruction of the Central Bank about the violations revealed in it. According to mister Weinstein holding then a position of the chairman of the board of directors of credit institution it was talked of trifles. For example, forgot to specify in the submitted reporting that the borrower organization from Barnaul is registered in the territory of Altai Krai, and two more firms which are registered in the register as Ltd company, were mistakenly called by cooperatives.

Nevertheless, in Russobank understood that the second instruction will cause revocation of license therefore mister Weinstein having extensive communications in the credit and financial sphere began to look for contacts to the people capable to clear a situation and to influence her.

The colonel Cherkalin to it was recommended by their mutual friend working then in DIA. In its office they for the first time met, got acquainted and exchanged contacts. The security officer then advised to use not phone, and protected, according to him, the Treema messenger.

Soon mister Cherkalin, according to the banker, itself contacted, having suggested to have supper at the Buro TSUM restaurant located on the 5th floor of TSUM — with a panoramic view of the center of Moscow and a so-called Lyons grill. Institution as mister Cherkalin explained, belongs to his good friend.

The business conversation then, however, did not turn out — said how Mark Weinstein remembered, only on the general subjects. The Osobist told about problems of the Russian economy and remembered parts of the recent trip to Paris. On the banker's question as it, the employee of intelligence agency, managed to spend a vacation in France, the colonel let know that he had not a rest in Europe, and was there "by order of the Homeland".

The security officer, nevertheless, as promised, organized to the banker a meeting with the staff of the Central Bank at which, however, the issue with the instruction was not resolved too. Nadzorshchiki was told that claims to Russobank could arise not only at the Central Bank, but also at federal service of Rosfinmonitoring, and still "it is necessary to deal with it". On it also left, and by the fall of the same year the credit institution received the second instruction. This time, according to Mark Weinstein, it was talked of mismatch of the software of Russobank admitted to the Central Bank.

Controlling organization could not read the documents provided to it and warned heads of joint stock bank that them "the reporting is considered not handed over".

After this the second meeting of misters Weinstein and Cherkalin in Buro took place. On it as the ex-banker claims, his partner directly said that for solution "it is necessary to give five hundred".

Kirill Cherkalin allegedly explained that €500 thousand about which it is will go to officials from the Central Bank and Rosfinmonitoring — otherwise they will not lag behind Russobank.

Mister Weinstein, according to him, discussed the offer with shareholders of bank, but to a consensus they did not manage to come. The financial position of the organization did not allow to bring out of turnover such amount at once therefore the banker decided to bargain with an osobist about a delay. At their third meeting which took place already at the Italian restaurant "Probka" in Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Mark Weinstein reported that he is ready to pay for the general protection for €50 thousand a month and that only on condition that the colonel Cherkalin and other receivers will provide to bank additional profitability.

This option as mister Weinstein claims, was not pleasant to Kirill Cherkalin. That allegedly said that at shareholders of Russobank enough own means to pay off him.

"Could purchase cake for 1.5 million rubles" — the security officer allegedly told, hinting at the magnificent procedure of a wedding of the son of the shareholder of Russobank Pavel Tipikin which took place at that time.

Partners dissatisfied with each other left, and the ex-banker, according to him, decided to extinguish an imminent conflict using one more friend from FSB. Having listened to mister Weinstein, that allegedly supplied him with the writer device of the hidden carrying externally similar to the magnetic admission in a metal cover. At withdrawal of "admission" from a case it automatically had to begin an audio recording. As the financier claims, this time he already thrust upon a meeting with Kirill Cherkalin in same Stopper, but, having hardly seen the security officer, understood that that "as if was changed". He with a smile answered all questions of the initiator of negotiations concerning "open affairs" and "unresolved problems": "I do not understand about what you …". According to Mark Weinstein, experienced Kirill Cherkalin just played him — he obtained information on the beginning of an operational experiment from someone from the colleagues or itself felt changes in behavior of the partner and hid.

Anyway, literally in three days after the broken special operation, on December 21, 2018 the chairman of the board of directors of Russobank was called on committee meeting of banking supervision in the Central Bank where announced him revocation of license. As it appears from the official statement of the regulator, the management of credit institution repeatedly violated requirements of the federal law on counteraction of legalization (washing) of income gained in the criminal way and to terrorism financing. Russobank was involved in carrying out the doubtful transit transactions connected with shadow sale of cash revenue by retail trade enterprises to the third parties and funds withdrawal abroad.

The former head of Russobank Weinstein did not agree with these outputs. According to him, the bank was never engaged in washing of means, and before revocation of license honesty paid off all clients. The appointed receiver had not even to bankrupt Russobank — it was just liquidated, having returned to shareholders all their property.

According to mister Weinstein, Kirill Cherkalin prepared documents on the violations which are allegedly allowed in bank for committee of banking supervision of the Central Bank and raised at its meeting a question of a withdrawal of the license at it. As soon as in April, 2019 the mass media reported detention of the authoritative colonel and excitation against it criminal case, the former banker wrote the application in ICR, having specified in it that he became a victim from actions of the defendant.

After that he was invited for evidence in public receiving FSB on Kuznetsky Bridge. There is certain Dmitry Vitalyevich who reported that he "accompanies investigation of criminal case of Cherkalin" in detail asked the applicant and wrote his indications.

Then, already at office ICR in Tekhnichesky Lane, the financier repeatedly stated the version to one of employees of the investigation team. As it became clear further, any of departments the version of the applicant did not interest. In any case, did not bring criminal case upon bribe racketing at mister Weinstein of ICR and injured the former banker did not recognize. Did not permit the applicant and to meet the defendant on a confrontation.

Already mister Weinstein refused the procedure of verification of indications offered by the investigation on a polygraph, motivating it with the fact that the results received on the lie detector all the same have no legal force.

Kirill Cherkalin, we will remind, until recently was considered as the most wealthy employee of the Russian intelligence agencies. The investigation found that having officially earned a little more than 17.5 million rubles for years of service, he managed to purchase 5 apartments in Moscow, two country houses and to save cash 800 million rubles, $72 million and €8 million. The State Office of Public Prosecutor is going to turn all its property with a total cost of 6.3 billion rubles into income of the state. At the same time the charges brought to the colonel are much more modest — are incriminated to him taking of a bribe in the amount of $850 thousand from the owner of commercial bank and the fraud on 500 thousand rubles committed concerning the businessman-developer. Mister Cherkalin admitted guilt, gave evidences on the accomplices from among the acting and former security officers, signed the pre-trial agreement with the State Office of Public Prosecutor and hopes for consideration of the criminal case in special court.

2018: Revocation of license

In December, 2018 the Bank of Russia revoked the license from Russobank (the 268th place in a system). The organization repeatedly violated requirements for counteraction of money laundering and was involved in doubtful transit transactions.

"An essential part<...> was made by the transactions connected with shadow sale of cash revenue by retail trade enterprises to the third parties and with funds withdrawal abroad" — the Central Bank notes.

The regulator recognized inefficient the organization of internal control in bank and declared the raised reputational risk in its work. The Central Bank also several times for the last year took supervising measures concerning credit institution.

Russobank is a participant of deposit insurance system.

2014: Renaming into Russobank

The bank was renamed into Russobank in 2014.

1993: Creation of "Russian coal and raw joint venture bank"

In 1993 "The Russian coal and raw joint venture bank" is created.

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