Source: https://life.ru/t/%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%8B/960181/pravuiu_ruku_mikhaila_fridmana_ariestovali_v_ispanii_po_dielu_o_korruptsii

Spanish police have arrested a famous Dutch corporate lawyer Peter Vacca, manager bankrotyaschegosya Madrid Zed +. It stated that Vacca obstruct the investigation of the multi-million dollar bribes Russian Zed units. This was reported by the online edition of the Spanish El Confidencial; a source in the local police confirmed the arrest of the agency Reuters.

Zed - one of the world leaders in mobile content sales. The company is owned by Spanish entrepreneur (founder of Zed Javier Perez Dolset, Santander Bank, the media group Planeta) and Russian telecom operator "VimpelCom". The main beneficiary of the "VimpelCom" (via the "Alfa Group") - a citizen of Russia and Israel, Mikhail Fridman, the number two in the national Forbes list with a fortune of $ 13.3 billion last couple of years, after the sale of "Alpha" its stake in TNK-BP ". Rosneft "for $ 13.9 billion, Friedman developed with partners LetterOne holding (based in Luxembourg).

Peter Vacca (Peter Wakkie) was arrested at the airport in Madrid, where he was going to Amsterdam. Brief biography of 68-year-old lawyer-manager with a list of posts takes a whole page to the Dutch media of his arrest was unexpected news of a top. His last employer was a major Dutch bank ABN Amro, where he was a member of the Supervisory Board and was mainly for salaries and bonuses. Often consults football club "Ajax".

 

Photo: © East News / ASSOCIATED PRESS / FOTOLINK

 

 

 

 

Photo: © East News / ASSOCIATED PRESS / FOTOLINK

 

Currently Vacca leads the main holding structure of the group Zed - Dutch Zed +, it was formed a few years ago through the merger of Spanish and Russian Zed Worldwide Temafon - had plans to bring Zed + on the stock exchange in an IPO to 1.5 billion euros. Long before that, "VimpelCom" has entered into the capital of the mobile content provider "Subject", and Zed bought "Threads" a controlling stake in 2009. By this time, Friedman managed to meet with the founder of Zed Javier Dolsetom. By 2014, Friedman structures was 31% Zed. Friendship did not last long.

Dolset in 2013 found that funds from Zed suddenly began to leak through Temafon Vstrecha business in the company and out of it were sent to FunBox company - has flowed around $ 30 million was subsequently discovered that the money was used to bribe officials..

Guide Zed + just could not believe in such a brazen scheme and even asked for more expert advice from consulting firm Pricewaterhouse. Auditors came to the natural conclusion that "the Spanish firm's resources and its Russian division were used to create profits for third parties."

Dolset refused to sign the annual report of the company and went to the police. However, at the same time the company was unable to repay the loan in 140 million euros and went to bankruptcy. Commercial court of Amsterdam in 2014, he was appointed manager of Zed + Vacca and Dolset was removed from the company's management. It is reported that in general corporate conflict provoked by the Russian side to LetterOne was able to buy it at bargain prices.

El Confidential calls Vacca many as Fridman right hand: according to the publication, Vacca associated with Highland Marine Stichting Foundation. Through this company LetterOne Mikhail Fridman owned and sold assets in the North Sea. In addition, how to write the Dutch edition of NRC, appointed Zed + auditor Frank Shreve and Spanish shareholders stated that acts in the interests Vacca LetterOne - and wants the company bought LetterOne. That is why, in their opinion, he in 2015 gave up takeover bid from the Chinese Zed Dawn Galaxy.

 

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Ramil Sitdikov

 

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Ramil Sitdikov

 

One way or another, disgruntled shareholders are interested in the Spanish law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. The investigation also involved the Securities and Exchange Commission, the US prosecutor's office, the FBI and even CIA.

Russian business Zed are mainly CJSC "Temafon" CJSC and "Subjects" (owns zedplus.ru domain). According to the SPARK database, the total revenue of the Company for 2015 - 1.7 billion rubles, net profit - 517.6 million rubles. Business Zed Russia at the moment is trivial: the company organizes a variety of entertainment services for the "Beeline", among other things, is "Melody instead of beeps." In different periods of all these firms charge businessman Vladimir Turovetsky. He was the CEO of LLC "Meeting" - the firm is now in the process of liquidation.

"Please help us I'm nine years to build this business." - Trembling voice asked in English Turovetsky Amsterdam commercial court in 2015, wrote ratings for NRC.

Spanish police, together with colleagues from the USA and the Netherlands believes that the "meeting" is not the only company, which was used by the attackers. It is indicated that bribery can participate in at least four other firms: Vstrecha 2, BMK, A1 Systems and Expert Promotion. The fraudulent schemes allegedly involved itself "VimpelCom", Bambalia and Gervaser. The beneficiary of the last two companies, as pointed out by El Confidencial, is Vahe Engibaryan, a close friend Mikhail Fridman. It is known, for example, that a few years ago, together they made a three-day pilgrimage on foot from the deserts of Arabia to Jerusalem.

Friedman often remember the phrase, uttered in 2003, in an interview with Financial Times: "Business Rules [in Russia] is quite different from Western standards is difficult to say that one can be completely clear and transparent.". With this reality had to be reconciled, and the former head of "VimpelCom" Michael Slobodina. Its in 2016 declared wanted for taking bribes while serving as the director of "IES-Holding" (now "T plus" "Renova" Viktor Vekselberg), two of his former colleagues were arrested.

So far, the investigation is focused on the Russian subsidiary of Zed, but in the future it is possible to attract to the case of "VimpelCom". The American authorities have experience of cooperation in detail with the Russian telecom operator. In 2016, we recall, in the "VimpelCom" fined for bribery in Uzbekistan of $ 795 million - the fine was the second largest for the duration of the US law on corruption abroad. Siemens to pay more just for taking bribes in a number of countries, including Russia again.

The official representative of Mr. Friedman declined to comment.

- For the first time I hear the name Peter Vacca - Life he said.

Source: https://life.ru/t/%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%8B/960181/pravuiu_ruku_mikhaila_fridmana_ariestovali_v_ispanii_po_dielu_o_korruptsii