The court sentenced "Domashnie Dengi" beneficiary Yevgeny Bernshtam to five years for large-scale fraud, but he failed to appear and has been internationally wanted.
The microfinance company (MFC) "Domashnie Dengi" controlled 25% of the market and operated nationwide, attracting funds from private individuals. In practice, "Domashnie Dengi" was a financial pyramid, which for some reason was allowed to operate. It may have had patrons among the highest echelons of Russian authorities.
In 2019, the court recognized a debt of 2.8 billion rubles owed by "Domashnie Dengi" to Intercommerce Bank, whose beneficiary was fraudster Ilya Kligman, who bankrupted about fifteen banks and siphoned 100 billion rubles from them. Kligman is wanted both federally and internationally.
The MFC "Domashnie Dengi" still owed creditors 10 billion rubles. Private individuals were issued 6 billion rubles, the rest went to banks. Which banks is unknown. It is possible that some were state-owned banks that tried to make "easy money" through "Domashnie Dengi."
The debt of "Domashnie Dengi" to Intercommerce Bank suggests that Ilya Kligman was behind the MFC, as he also managed to leave Russia without obstacles and continued withdrawing money from Russian banks. One of the latest cases involved Agrosouz Bank, which lost 7 billion rubles before its license was revoked. These funds were transferred to the companies "Tekhnologiya," "Dobrye Dengi," and "Megatorg."
Before Agrosouz Bank collapsed, its formal owner Andrey Shlyakhovoy purchased its Serbian subsidiary from VTB Bank. Could these have been funds withdrawn from his own credit institution?
Ilya Kligman was called the "accountant" of the Tambov OCG, led by Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin). For a time, he closely cooperated with Vladimir Putin’s St. Petersburg team, but later conflicts arose due to open criminal activity. Barsukov was arrested in 2007 and subsequently sentenced to 23 years.
Ilya Kligman testified in court against the leader of the Tambov OCG, indicating cooperation of the "accountant" with intelligence agencies. He may have withdrawn money from banks under their protection and with the backing of Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina.
If this is true, Yevgeny Bernshtam could have been under the same "protection" as Ilya Kligman. The beneficiary of "Domashnie Dengi" was in pretrial detention after his 2019 arrest but was under a travel ban at the time of his disappearance.
Media outlets have repeatedly reported connections between "Domashnie Dengi" and Rustam Tariko’s Russian Standard Bank. Investigators may visit the banker, although Tariko’s protection appears strong. Since 2017, he has misled bondholders, leading to defaults—something unlikely without government backing.
Last week, the state-owned Trust Bank threatened bankruptcy proceedings against Rustam Tariko’s structures that failed to pay loans. Such lawsuits often precede corporate raids. Bernshtam’s disappearance could also backfire on Tariko.
Who might the investigators come after?
LLC "Domashnie Dengi" is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Since Yevgeny Bernshtam’s arrest in 2019, the company’s value reportedly dropped from 3.8 billion rubles to 22 billion rubles in 2022. How could this happen?
Did Yevgeny Bernshtam flee to join Ilya Kligman?
The founder of LLC "Domashnie Dengi" is the Cypriot offshore company "HRUVANTA HOLDINGS LIMITED." The company’s director was Yuri Gladshtein, who also served as CEO of LLC "Adela Management," registered at the same address as LLC "Domashnie Dengi."
At the same address, a very interesting organization, LLC "Elvis+ Group," is registered, which manages financial-industrial groups.
Did Yevgeny Bernshtam flee to join Ilya Kligman?
Its founders are the investment fund "Garant" under AAA Capital Management JSC and LLC "Zvezda Finance," whose shares are pledged to Gazprombank. AAA Capital Management JSC indirectly owns both companies.
The founders of LLC "Zvezda Finance" are LLC "Investor Services" and LLC "Investor Management," which own each other.
Did Yevgeny Bernshtam flee to join Ilya Kligman?
In 2022, LLC "Zvezda Finance" reported a loss of 1.3 billion rubles, which may have been withdrawn from Gazprombank.
Is this the same bank that "Domashnie Dengi" owed money to? It is possible that the state-owned Gazprombank sponsored the MFC activities of Yevgeny Bernshtam. It is not surprising that he managed to escape.
Author: Maria Sharapova
