Poroshenko's trusted bankers took over Burger King in Russia
The largest shareholder of Burger King in Russia has become the Cypriot Xomeric, associated with the Ukrainian ICU group of trusted bankers Petro Poroshenko Makar Pasenyuk and Konstantin Stetsenko, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
About it reports the Russian publication RBC.
According to the materials of the Cyprus registry of companies, at the end of February 2018, the ownership structure of the parent company for the Burger King chain in Russia, Burger King Russia (Cyprus) Ltd, changed.
The owner of 16,62% of the Russian business was Xomeric Holdings Ltd., a company registered in Cyprus. As a result of the transaction, Xomeric's share increased from 18,4 to 35,02%, and it is now the company's largest shareholder.
The seller of the package was the VTB structure. The VTB press service confirmed the “partial sale of a stake in the company.” After the deal with Xomeric, VTB owns 19,98% of Burger King Russia.
The new largest shareholder of Burger King in Russia is associated with the investment company ICU. The founder of Xomeric Holdings Ltd is CIS Opportunities Fund SPC Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands. ICU Investment Management Ltd, registered on the same islands, has a license to manage funds in the interests of CIS Opportunities Fund SPC Ltd.
A representative of the ICU group refused to comment on the connection between the fund included in its structure and the Russian Burger King eateries.
The ICU Group was established in 2006 and provides securities trading services, investment banking services, and also manages assets of joint investment institutions.
It consists of LLC “Investment Capital Ukraine”, AMC “Investment Capital Ukraine”, Bank “Avangard” and AMC-APF “Troika Dialog Ukraine”.
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The co-owner and chairman of the board of directors of the group was the ex-head of the NBU Valeria Gontareva. After her appointment, Gontareva sold her stake in ICU, and Makar Pasenyuk and Konstantin Stetsenko remained partners of the group.
On January 7, the Al Jazeera television channel published an investigation according to which the ICU company helped ex-President Yanukovych withdraw $1,5 billion from Ukraine.
After the revolution, ICU became famous not only in the business environment. Its representatives found themselves in key positions in power: Dmitry Vovk headed the National Energy and Energy Commission, Vladimir Demchishin received the post of Minister of Energy, and Valeria Gontareva became the head of the National Bank.
After taking office as head of state, Petro Poroshenko hired the investment company Rothschild and ICU to sell his assets. However, “due to the lack of buyers,” on January 14, 2016, the president announced the signing of an agreement under which he transferred his share in the Roshen corporation to an independent “blind” trust.
Makar Paseniuk is characterized as “Poroshenko’s financier.” Deputies from the BPP call him one of the most knowledgeable people in the president’s business affairs.
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