Bejamov Georgy Ivanovich

Bejamov Georgy Ivanovich

Biography

2015: Criminal case of embezzlement in Vneshprombank

The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal case on embezzlement in Vneshprombank in December 2015. On the same day, the Central Bank introduced a temporary administration in the bank, and a month later deprived the credit institution of the license. In March, Vneshprombank was declared bankrupt. The crisis in the bank began after checking it by the regulator, which discovered a hole in the amount of 140-145 billion rubles. According to the DIA, the bank's debt to creditors is more than 230 billion rubles.

The first to be arrested as part of the investigation of this case was Bedzhamov's sister Larisa Markus, who was co-owner and president of Vneshprombank. The criminal case against Georgy Bedzhamov under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud on an especially large scale) was initiated on January 22, 2016. The two cases were soon merged into one proceeding and his investigation is still ongoing. However, by that time the ex-banker was already abroad. He was put on the wanted list for issuing deliberately bad loans to controlled firms.

In February 2017, the Prosecutor General's Office appealed to the UK with a request to extradite the former co-owner of Vneshprombank Georgy Bedzhamov. The ex-banker arrested in absentia in Russia for fraud moved to this country from Monaco, whose authorities had previously refused to extradite the Prosecutor General's Office. According to Kommersant's information, the Russian side gave London the same guarantees against Bedzhamov as before to the authorities of the principality: he will be prosecuted only for those crimes indicated in the extradition request, violence and ill-treatment will not be applied to him. However, there is little chance that the request will be satisfied.

A request for the extradition of the former co-owner of Vneshprombank and the ex-president of the Russian bobsleigh and skeleton federation Georgy Bedzhamov was sent to the UK through diplomatic channels. Judging by the way the relations between the countries develop in this regard, the request of the Russian side can rather be considered a formality. Even despite assurances that in the event of extradition, violence and ill-treatment will not be used against Bedzhamov, but he will be held in a pre-trial detention center in conditions that meet world standards. An additional confirmation of the futility of the efforts of the Prosecutor General's Office can also be considered the refusal in the summer of 2016 to extradite the fugitive ex-banker to the Principality of Monaco. In this country, Georgy Bedzhamov was detained in April 2016, as he was on the international wanted list initiated by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, he was not held in custody for long, having released him on bail. In July 2016, the Monaco Court of Appeal ruled to refuse to extradite Georgy Bedzhamov to Russia. The main reason for this was the state of health of the former co-owner of Vneshprombank. According to his lawyers, Georgy Bedzhamov needed treatment and heart surgery. Finally, the head of state, Prince Albert II, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee and a participant in the bobsleigh competitions of the five Olympics, put an end to this issue. Georgy Bedzhamov knew him well as a sports functionary.

As soon as the restrictions on movement were lifted from Mr. Bedzhamov, he immediately moved to London, where he planned to continue treatment. In November 2016, Interpol removed the fugitive ex-banker from the list of wanted persons on the grounds that the criminal prosecution in the wanted country allegedly does not correspond to the goals and objectives of this organization.

2019

Trial in London over Vneshprombank lawsuit

Banker Georgy Bedzhamov, who fled to London, is obliged to spend no more than $100 thousand a month - the court set such a restriction on spending to a Russian defendant in a lawsuit filed by Vneshprombank, in which Bedzhamov was a shareholder. During the proceedings, the banker's accounts were frozen, but he was able to agree on the amount that he could spend on life, writes BBC.

Initially, the court offered the Russian banker to live on $12 thousand a week. He protested, demanded to allow him to spend eight times more and provided an estimate of what the money was spent on:

• $75,000 a month - to rent a penthouse on Park Lane in London,
• $85 thousand - to rent an apartment in Monaco, where his family lives,
• $60 thousand - to the guards,
• $20 thousand - for clothes,
• $10 thousand - for the services of a hairdresser, concierge and a subscription to a golf club.

At about $25 thousand, the banker estimated representative expenses. Plus a cook, a driver and pocket money for the kids.

Then judge Milvin Jarman, who himself receives only $200 thousand a year, went to meet and raised the bar to $100 thousand a month^[1].

A1 is advertising about the remuneration for information about Bedzhamov's assets

In July 2019, an interesting advertisement appeared at the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. Right in the departure zone, instead of the usual roaming and travel cards, an unexpected announcement with a portrait of a fugitive banker from Vneshprombank Georgy Bedzhamov.

This is the official advertisement launched by A1 (Alfa Group). The company is ready to involve asset hunters from around the world in the search and promises a reward for information about the assets of Bedzhamov and his sister Lara Marcus.

Despite the prison term of one and the absentee arrest of Bedzhamov himself, a significant part of his assets is securely hidden.

The same advertising is shown in the Vnukovo business terminal.

2020

Plan to file sexual harassment lawsuit

In March 2020, a sensation happened - the first man decided to join the famous hashtag# MeToo. The victim of harassment was Georgy Bedzhamov, whose assets, bought with the money of Vneshprombank depositors, are wanted by A1 on the instructions of the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA).

From one of his lawyers it became known that Bedzhamov accuses three top managers of A1 of harassment and in the coming days plans to file a lawsuit on this topic in one of the courts of London.

Investigation by Liechtenstein prosecutors on suspicion of money laundering

The Liechtenstein prosecutor's office is investigating Georgy Bedzhamov and his sister Larisa Markus on suspicion of money laundering.

Liechtenstein financial intelligence (subordinate to the prosecutor's office) found that companies associated with Bedzhamov and his sister Larisa Markus in 2012-2015 transferred about $143 million to bank accounts in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Bejamov laundered this money through the Liechtenstein banks Valartis and LGT, as well as the Swiss Vontobel.

As follows from the analytical report of the financial intelligence of Liechtenstein, the money came to the account of the Panamanian Orange Tree Investment, created in the interests of Bejamov.

In Valartis, ten accounts were opened for various companies: eight in the interests of Marcus and two in the interests of Bedzhamov. One of the companies was called Markus Larisa.

Funds to Marcus's accounts came from the Swiss bank Vontobel, to Bedzhamov's accounts - from Estonia and Switzerland. "The money was mainly used to buy luxury yachts and properties," the report (RBC) said.

Liechtenstein financial intelligence indicates that in 2013 Orange Tree received about €1 million from the Bobsleigh Federation Russia (advance for sports equipment) and more than €130 thousand from the International Bobsleigh Federation from an account with the LGT bank (in the description of payments we are talking about "prize" and "contributions" in favor). of the Russian Federation

But €21 million left the Bejam Orange Tree of the German shipyard Lurssen. Transfers in favor of Lurssen are most likely related to the construction of the luxury yacht Ester III, another €1.1 million was received by the British company Basel Properties: it is directly owned by Bedzhamov's wife Alina Zolotova.

2021

Seizure of property in London

At the end of January 2021, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow arrested a house owned by Georgy Bedzhamov in London worth about £35 million.

RBC announced the court's decision with reference to his decision. The source of the publication, familiar with the course of the case, confirmed the fact of the arrest of property. The publication says properties located at 17 Belgrave Square and 17 Belgrave Mews West in London are being seized.

The court arrested the property of George Bedzhamov in London

According to the interlocutor, Vneshprombank, which is in bankruptcy by the end of January 2021 and has filed a lawsuit with the High Court of London against its ex-co-owner Bedzhamov about fraud worth 1.3 billion pounds, plans to use the decision of the Russian court to exclude the possibility of selling this real estate by a former banker.

This will eliminate the possibility of selling the object. The freezing order imposed by the High Court prohibits Georgy Bedzhamov from alienating his assets, but the defendant (if he does not have other sources of financing his costs) has the right to ask the court to allow the sale of real estate in order to finance legal proceedings and live in the limits of spending on personal needs, - explained the informant.

Earlier, the London court froze Bedzhamov's assets, but the decision does not prohibit "to carry out transactions or dispose of their assets in the manner of ordinary business activities." The London court ban stipulates that when conducting transactions, payments should not be received by companies associated with Bedzhamov, and he himself must notify the plaintiffs of all transactions worth more than £50,000.

Double Bridge Law partner Sergei Usoskin plaintiffs may ask the High Court to apply additional interim measures in Britain in support of the Russian process. According to the lawyer, the sale of the object will not necessarily lead to the spending of revenue, the money will be placed on the account of the law firm Mishcon de Reya (representing the interests of Bedzhamov) and then the court will decide according to what rules they will be spent. The lawyer added that he does not know cases when "the court would conclude that the debtor is dishonestly spending money on lawyers so that they do not go to creditors."^[2]

British court does not allow Bedzhamov's property to be sold in London

In August 2021, a judge of the High Court of England and Wales refused the arbitration manager of Bedzhamov's bankruptcy in Russia. He did not allow the ex-banker's homes to be sold in London. The judge considered two applications filed by Liubov Kireeva  , the financial manager of Bedzhamov's bankruptcy in Russia. Kireeva asked the British court to recognize her appointment as a manager in the UK, as well as to transfer to her two London properties owned by Bejamov so that they would be sold in the interests of his creditors.

2022: Declared bankrupt in Britain

In October 2022, Bedzhamov was declared bankrupt in Britain, which will speed up the procedure for returning money to the victims, according to the Deposit Insurance Agency.

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