The Germans will write a fine to President Poroshenko
In Germany, the business of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is recognized as opaque. In accordance with EU requirements, a register of company transparency was created in Germany, which Poroshenko and his business partners ignored. As a result, Poroshenko violated the law on money laundering.
The mentioned register of transparency in Germany was created after the scandalous “Panama dossiers”. It was these documents, which became public, tarnished the reputation of many famous people and served as a kind of accelerator for the German authorities: the offshore scandal forced Berlin to rush to create a register of transparency for company owners, as required by the EU anti-money laundering directive.
Petro Poroshenko was one of the participants in the scandal around those offshore accounts and companies. Deutsche Welle notes that the President of Ukraine was even one of the most senior politicians, whose names have surfaced in the offshore "sea".
Now Mr. Poroshenko and his commercial partners, through offshore companies, own a German starch plant located in Elsteraue. And these businessmen should have entered their names in the German registry, that is, abandoned offshore anonymity.
Deutsche Welle tried to find out which names the specified plant was registered in (by the way, this plant is part of the Ukrprominvest-Agro group owned by the businessman-president Poroshenko). It is still known that the plant is owned by companies from the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus. The company is registered through the German company "Interstarch GmbH". Deutsche Welle was not very lucky: Ukrainian investors did not enter absolutely anything into the register. Conclusion: Poroshenko violated German law aimed at combating money laundering.
In fact, the names are known. The owner of the company from Cyprus is Sergey Zaitsev. At least he calls himself the master. This top manager of Roshen back in 2016 reported that it was he who was the beneficiary of the companies to which the factory in Germany was registered.
The Deutsche Welle was able to obtain similar information from the ICU company, which advises Poroshenko and partners in the field of foreign investment. According to ICU, Mr. Zaitsev transferred the management of the plant in Germany to the agricultural holding P. Poroshenko.
According to German law aimed at combating money laundering, the beneficiary is not only the owner of a substantial share (over 25%), but also the person controlling the company “in a way that can be equated to this”. The key criterion is the degree of influence of the person on the appointment of company managers. If we take into account the control of this enterprise by the managers of the holding Poroshenko, then the Ukrainian president himself is the beneficiary, even if he has a relatively small share (24,95%).
The second conclusion follows from this: “Interstarch GmbH” was supposed to enter the name of Zaitsev in the register with a 75% share in the German company and, obviously, make the name of P. Poroshenko himself. And this should have been done before October 1, 2017.
It is curious in this connection that there is no data in Mr. Poroshenko’s electronic tax return that he is a beneficiary of a German company.
But this is Ukraine. Who will punish the president for what? The question is rhetorical.
But for violating German law, Poroshenko shines a large fine. Rather, very large. Up to a million euros! One hundred thousand euros - for sure. For the first time, German law is not so strict. A million is discharged in case of repeated violation.
The German regulatory authorities have already informed the press that the option “we don’t know who the beneficiaries” will not be accepted. And the responsibility for informing lies with the beneficiaries themselves. This is the position of the Federal Administrative Office.
How will the democratic and liberal president-businessman Poroshenko come true before Berlin?
Photos used: https://24tv.ua
The mentioned register of transparency in Germany was created after the scandalous “Panama dossiers”. It was these documents, which became public, tarnished the reputation of many famous people and served as a kind of accelerator for the German authorities: the offshore scandal forced Berlin to rush to create a register of transparency for company owners, as required by the EU anti-money laundering directive.
Petro Poroshenko was one of the participants in the scandal around those offshore accounts and companies. Deutsche Welle notes that the President of Ukraine was even one of the most senior politicians, whose names have surfaced in the offshore "sea".
Now Mr. Poroshenko and his commercial partners, through offshore companies, own a German starch plant located in Elsteraue. And these businessmen should have entered their names in the German registry, that is, abandoned offshore anonymity.
Deutsche Welle tried to find out which names the specified plant was registered in (by the way, this plant is part of the Ukrprominvest-Agro group owned by the businessman-president Poroshenko). It is still known that the plant is owned by companies from the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus. The company is registered through the German company "Interstarch GmbH". Deutsche Welle was not very lucky: Ukrainian investors did not enter absolutely anything into the register. Conclusion: Poroshenko violated German law aimed at combating money laundering.
In fact, the names are known. The owner of the company from Cyprus is Sergey Zaitsev. At least he calls himself the master. This top manager of Roshen back in 2016 reported that it was he who was the beneficiary of the companies to which the factory in Germany was registered.
The Deutsche Welle was able to obtain similar information from the ICU company, which advises Poroshenko and partners in the field of foreign investment. According to ICU, Mr. Zaitsev transferred the management of the plant in Germany to the agricultural holding P. Poroshenko.
According to German law aimed at combating money laundering, the beneficiary is not only the owner of a substantial share (over 25%), but also the person controlling the company “in a way that can be equated to this”. The key criterion is the degree of influence of the person on the appointment of company managers. If we take into account the control of this enterprise by the managers of the holding Poroshenko, then the Ukrainian president himself is the beneficiary, even if he has a relatively small share (24,95%).
The second conclusion follows from this: “Interstarch GmbH” was supposed to enter the name of Zaitsev in the register with a 75% share in the German company and, obviously, make the name of P. Poroshenko himself. And this should have been done before October 1, 2017.
It is curious in this connection that there is no data in Mr. Poroshenko’s electronic tax return that he is a beneficiary of a German company.
But this is Ukraine. Who will punish the president for what? The question is rhetorical.
But for violating German law, Poroshenko shines a large fine. Rather, very large. Up to a million euros! One hundred thousand euros - for sure. For the first time, German law is not so strict. A million is discharged in case of repeated violation.
The German regulatory authorities have already informed the press that the option “we don’t know who the beneficiaries” will not be accepted. And the responsibility for informing lies with the beneficiaries themselves. This is the position of the Federal Administrative Office.
How will the democratic and liberal president-businessman Poroshenko come true before Berlin?
Photos used: https://24tv.ua
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