For three years now journalists across the globe have worked together on a story related to a rampant series of drug schemes and scams. Through investigation the source of these scams have been linked to the former Arksbank Beneficiary and businessman, Ilya Kligman, who is currently under investigation with an arrest warrant for crimes including fraud, weapons dealing, and murder.
The ISV said that ex-banker Kligman organized the withdrawal of funds from depositors and securities belonging to Arksbank. In total, he was sued for 55 billion rubles.
The Moscow Arbitration Court recovered 40.5 billion rubles of losses from former Arksbank beneficiary Ilya Kligman, the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) told RBC.
“Requirements for damages were made due to the fact that I. Kligman organized the withdrawal of depositors’ funds and bank-owned securities,” the message reads.
The ASV noted that in the bankruptcy cases of Inkarobank, UM-Bank, Arksbank, Nevsky Bank and Agrosoyuz LLC, Kligman filed claims totaling over 55 billion rubles.
In 2016, Arksbank’s license to conduct banking operations was revoked due to the fact that its activities “was focused on attracting public funds and placing them in assets of unsatisfactory quality.” Then the Moscow Arbitration Court declared the bank bankrupt, bankruptcy proceedings were opened against it, and the functions of bankruptcy manager were entrusted to the ISV.
The ISV stated that Kligman organized the theft of depositors’ funds not reflected in the official accounting of the bank, as well as the loss of securities belonging to the credit institution. This became the basis for recovering damages from its beneficiary in the amount of more than 40.5 billion rubles.
In March 2023, the Ninth Arbitration Court of Appeal seized Kligman’s property for this amount at the request of the AO.
Earlier, Kommersant reported that Kligman and his right hand Evgeny Urin (the younger brother of banker Matvey Urin, who received a sentence for beating Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen on Rublevskoye Highway) led a criminal association that specialized in withdrawing money from Banks.
According to the investigation, Kligman and Urin organized schemes to withdraw money from Arksbank (more than 35 billion rubles), Agrosoyuz and Inkarobank (10 billion rubles), Gelendzhik Bank (debt 825 million rubles), Interkommerts Bank (65.1 billion rubles), Time Bank (700 million rubles), Antalbank (14. In total, more than 150 billion rubles were withdrawn from them, which the ISV had to be reimbursed.
The investigation of financial scams took place in 18 criminal cases. Kligman himself left for Germany in 2016, when the Investigative Department of the TFR for the South-Western District of Moscow began an investigation into theft of money from Arksbank. Today he remains on the international wanted list.
FACTS/INFORMATION/SOURCES
The article explores the alleged involvement of Ilya Kligman, a notorious Russian banker and fugitive, in various financial scandals. It begins by highlighting the arrest of a group suspected of embezzling billions from Agrosoyuz Bank, with Kligman being implicated as the organizer. The bank had its license revoked in 2018 due to asset withdrawal and money laundering violations. The investigation reveals that Kligman was the ultimate beneficiary of several financial structures involved in embezzlement schemes, including Agrosoyuz Bank. He is believed to be connected to the collapse of numerous banks, with funds totaling over 100 billion rubles being withdrawn (include Gelendzhik Bank (with a deficit of 825 million rubles), Intekhkommerz (65.1 billion), Time Bank (700 million), Antalbank (14.7 billion), Arksbank (over 35 billion), Inkarobank (over 3 billion), Transinvestbank (over 9 billion), and Baikalbank (6 billion)). The scheme involved fraudulent concession agreements and fictitious organizations. Additionally, Kligman’s international involvement is noted. In 2009, the US imposed sanctions on Agrosoyuz Bank, considering it a financial partner of North Korea. The bank was accused of operating on behalf of North Korea and facilitating the transfer of millions of dollars. Kligman’s alleged ties to Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin), a prominent figure in the Tambov criminal organization, are also mentioned. The article further highlights Kligman’s past legal troubles, including his arrest in 2009 on suspicion of fraud. However, the case against him was closed that same year. It also mentions the involvement of other individuals, such as Andrey Shlyakhovoy, who played roles in various banks that faced collapses and license revocations.
Lawsuit:
The Moscow Arbitration Court has rejected the Deposit Insurance Agency’s (DIA) request to freeze the assets of former banker Ilya Kligman and his deputy, Evgeny Urin, in certain credit organizations, each amounting to 10.049 billion rubles. According to the court’s ruling, there is no evidence of the defendants engaging in actions to dispose of their assets, nor any proof of their intent to do so. Additionally, there is no evidence presented regarding the issuance of a resolution to bring the defendants as accused in a criminal case related to the embezzlement of the bank’s assets. The court states that the arguments presented in the application are not supported by documentary evidence. The DIA made this request in December, seeking to prohibit Kligman and Urin from engaging in transactions involving the disposal or encumbrance of their assets (both real estate and bank accounts, both in Russia and abroad) equivalent to 10.049 billion rubles. In April 2021, “Kommersant” reported that Kligman was involved in schemes concerning Agrosoyuz Bank, Gelendzhik Bank, Interkommerz Bank, Time Bank, Antalbank, Arksbank, Inkarobank, Transinvestbank, Baikalbank, and several other credit organizations. Kligman and Urin were accused, in absentia, in a multi-billion theft case from the bankrupted Agrosoyuz Bank, with the newspaper naming Kligman as the bank’s beneficiary. On February 21, 2023, the Ninth Arbitration Appellate Court arrested Kligman’s assets totaling 2.5 billion rubles. On December 6, 2022, the court, based on the DIA’s application from November 21, joined Kligman as a co-defendant in the agency’s lawsuit seeking to recover 2.5 billion rubles in damages from former Inkarobank CEO Alexander Filipsky. Previously, the Arbitration Court of the Moscow District upheld the arrest of former Chairman of the Management Board of Agrosoyuz Bank, Alexey Zelentsov’s assets worth 10 billion rubles, as requested by the DIA. The Bank of Russia revoked Agrosoyuz Bank’s license on November 7, 2018. The Moscow Arbitration Court declared the bank bankrupt on February 4, 2019, and the DIA was appointed as the bankruptcy trustee. In early August 2018, Agrosoyuz Bank was included in the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s SDN List, linking it to North Korea. Being listed imposes severe restrictions, including freezing all assets within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting any transactions with the bank by U.S. citizens. Andrei Shlyakhovoy was considered the primary owner of the bank. After the license was revoked from Agrosoyuz Bank, the Central Bank issued a directive to Shlyakhovoy, requiring him to reduce his stake in another credit organization, UM Bank. The regulator revoked UM Bank’s license on November 14, 2018.
