FX.co ★ Top 5 lawsuits against Russian businessmen

Alexey Khotin, 290 billion rubles

In early autumn of 2019, the Investigative Committee of Russia charged Alexey Khotin, ex-owner of Yugra bank, with embezzlement of 283 billion rubles (around $300 million). Later, this amount increased by another 7.5 billion rubles. Back in 2017, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation withdrew Yugra’s license, suspecting the latter of fraud. Until that moment, the bank was considered one of the thirty largest financial companies in terms of assets. During the course of the criminal case investigation, Alexey Khotin refused to plead guilty.

Otkritie FC Bank, 289.5 billion rubles

In the mid-summer of 2020, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, on behalf of the new owners of Otkritie FC Bank, filed a lawsuit against the former owners and managing directors of the financial institution to the Moscow Arbitration Court. Thus, Vadim Belyaev, the founder of Otkritie FC Bank, chairman Evgeny Dankevich, president Ruben Aganbegyan, as well as members of the board Elena Budnik and Gennady Zhuzhlev were put on trial. The charges were based on the illegal withdrawal of funds via deposits allegedly aimed at maintaining the bank's liquidity.

Dmitry and Alexei Ananyev, 282 billion rubles

At the end of 2018, Promsvyazbank took legal action against its former owners Dmitry and Alexei Ananyev who ruled the financial institution until 2017. The lawsuit was filed to the Moscow Arbitration Court. The reason for the court claim was the losses caused to Promsvyazbank amid the conduction of several dubious transactions. In 2019, the Investigative Committee decided to launch a criminal investigation accusing the Ananyev brothers of a large-scale illegal embezzlement and money laundering. Both Dmitry and Alexei Ananyev reject the accusations up to date.

Boris Mints and sons, 700 million rubles

Last summer, the management of Trust and Otkritie FC Bank filed a 700 million rubles lawsuit to the High Court of London. The financial institutions accused the owner of O1 Group Boris Mints and his sons of commercial fraud. The charges rested upon the fact that Mints illegally sold the bonds of O1 Group worth 57 billion rubles to Trust and Otkritie FC Bank even though these bonds were pledged by banks for a loan previously issued to Mints. As a result, the financial companies lost their collateral and became owners of illiquid securities.

Sergei Pugachev, above 75 billion rubles

Back in 2014, the Investigative Committee charged the founder of Mezhprombank of embezzling the company’s funds, as well as the money given to the financial institution by the Russian central bank in order to save it from bankruptcy. However, as evidenced by the prosecution, it turned out during the investigation that the tycoon was knowingly bankrupting his own bank. Among other things, Sergei Pugachev was also accused of exceeding official powers in 2015.