Filenews 7 April 2023 - by Fanis Makrides
As Vladimir Putin's personal banker, using hidden funds in Cyprus, the tycoon former major shareholder of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich is presented.
This revelation was made earlier this week by the historic American newspaper Washington Post and the international consortium of investigative journalists ICIJ.
A shell company registered in Cyprus that is owned by well-known Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich appears to be behind the purchase of an apartment by a Russian-Jewish teacher who was a student of Putin decades ago.
The Russian President had met Mina Yudiskaya-Berliner on an official visit to Jerusalem in 2005. The meeting was widely publicized after Putin said she was his German teacher when he was in high school.
At the time, Russia's political leader had given Yudiskaya-Berliner gifts. She said Putin arranged for the purchase of an apartment worth more than $200,000 for the elderly former teacher. The apartment in question is located in Tel Aviv. Yudiskaya-Berliner died in 2017 at the age of 96
According to the Washngton Post, this purchase appears to be linked to N.P. Gemini Holdings Ltd, a shell company based in Cyprus. The US publication cites uncovered financial records showing that "the true source of the funds was an offshore account secretly controlled by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich."
It added: "The act dates back to June 2005, two months after Putin's visit to Jerusalem. It presents the deceased as the final recipient of $245,000, which was transferred the same day from N.P. Gemini Holdings Ltd, a shell company based in Cyprus, a highly secret tax haven with a long track record of services to Russian oligarchs.
Abramovich's name is not included in Gemini's corporate records. It is explained, however, that leaked files, as well as a case file in a case before a London court, present Abramovich as the owner.
"F" located the court documents. Indeed, among other things, they report that six companies registered in Cyprus, including Gemini, belong to Abrabovic. The other five are: White Pearl, Marthacello, Kravin, Heflinham and Kindselia. According to our investigation, Gemini has as officials two persons with Greek names and a well-known service company that has close cooperation with Abramovich.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not tell The Washington Post whether Putin was connected to the case. He referred journalists to Russia's Jewish communities. A spokesman for Abramovich acknowledged the donation but said there was no link to Putin.
Beneficial ownership register in Cyprus
"F" invited a competent source familiar with the internal procedures for the Cyprus Registrar of Companies to comment more generally on international publications on shadow companies in Cyprus. Over the past two years, the picture of business entities that did not present the beneficial owner has been reversed. He referred to a European directive in the context of combating money laundering, on the basis of which a Register of Beneficial Owners has now been established. "A large percentage, 98%, you can tell who the natural person behind each corporate entity is," he said.
However, the European Commission intends to tighten the straps further in order to eliminate the phenomenon of letterbox companies. Strict measures will be taken that will lead to the closure of those created to cover assets (real estate, cars, etc.) from property taxes, special taxes, etc. A relevant Directive will be submitted to Ecofin next May for adoption.
It should be noted that as it was known last June, US federal agents, after their investigation, concluded that Cyprus is behind the luxurious planes of Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, worth $ 410 million. This had emerged after an investigation into the Cypriot shell company Finservus (Trustees) Limited.
