#Promsvyazbank

[mariacallous]

The incumbent president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is running on behalf of the pro-Russian Party of Socialists of Moldova, will compete in a second round of presidential elections next month, it became clear on Monday after 98.87 per cent of the votes were counted.

A simultaneous referendum held on Sunday on whether to enshrine EU accession as a national goal in the Moldovan constitution delivered a slim majority for the ‘yes’ camp. A total of 50.28 per cent of voters backed EU integration being added to the constitution, with 49.78 against, after 98.96 per cent of the votes were counted.

The ‘yes’ camp won the referendum thanks to ballots cast by the Moldovan diaspora, which voted for it in large numbers. The referendum was being described as a crucial choice between Europe and Russia for ex-Soviet state Moldova.

In the presidential vote, Maia Sandu led with 42.18 per cent of the votes, followed by Stoianoglo at 26.17 per cent. In third place was the populist leader of Our Party, Renato Usatii, who obtained 13.76 per cent. In the second round, it is likely that anti-EU and pro-Russian candidates will join forces to back Stoianoglo against Sandu.

Sandu was backed predominantly in Chisinau, the centre of the country, and the diaspora. By contrast, Stoianoglo gained major support in the northern part of the country and the southern region of Gagauzia, both traditionally dominated by pro-Russian voters.

At a press conference in the early hours of Monday, Sando alleged that pro-Russian forces under the command of fugitive Moscow-based oligarch Ilan Shor had attempted to steal the elections through large-scale falsifications and bribes for voters

“It is an unprecedented attack on freedom and democracy in our country. Criminal groups, together with foreign forces hostile to our interests, attacked our country usingtens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda,” she said.

“They aimed to induce fear and panic in society. We will not give up defending freedom and democracy,” she declared.

The head of the General Police Inspectorate, Viorel Cernauteanu, said last week that police have documented a network organised by Shor that provided at least 130,000 people with electoral bribes via bank accounts at Promsvyazbank in Russia.

Second-placed candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo thanked voters on Sunday evening, after the polling stations closed, saying they showed Moldova is “determined to define its own future”. Stoianoglo opposes Moldova following a pro-Western direction.

[russianintelligencestargets]

Near Promsvyazbank, Frunzenskaya Naberezhnaya, 22/2, Moscow, Russia, 119146

[eclecticstarlightblogger]

Η επικεφαλής της Γκαγκαουζίας πήγε ξανά στη Μόσχα

(φωτό από τη συνάντηση της Γκ��ύτσουλ με τον Πούτιν στο Σότσι, τον Μάρτιο) Η Ευγενία Γκούτσουλ, επικεφαλής της Αυτόνομης Περιφέρειας της Γκαγκαουζίας στη Μολδαβία, επισκέφτηκε ξανά τη Μόσχα. Αυτή τη φορά υπέγραψε συμφωνία με τη μοσχοβίτικη τράπεζα Promsvyazbank για την εφαρμογή του ρωσικού συστήματος πληρωμών «Mir» στην επικράτεια της Γκαγκαουζίας. Η Γκούτσουλ, είχε επισκεφθεί τη […] Η επικεφαλής…

[thoughtfullyblogger]

Η επικεφαλής της Γκαγκαουζίας πήγε ξανά στη Μόσχα

(φωτό από τη συνάντηση της Γκούτσουλ με τον Πούτιν στο Σότσι, τον Μάρτιο) Η Ευγενία Γκούτσουλ, επικεφαλής της Αυτόνομης Περιφέρειας της Γκαγκαουζίας στη Μολδαβία, επισκέφτηκε ξανά τη Μόσχα. Αυτή τη φορά υπέγραψε συμφωνία με τη μοσχοβίτικη τράπεζα Promsvyazbank για την εφαρμογή του ρωσικού συστήματος πληρωμών «Mir» στην επικράτεια της Γκαγκαουζίας. Η Γκούτσουλ, είχε επισκεφθεί τη […] Η επικεφαλής…

[greekblogs]

Η επικεφαλής της Γκαγκαουζίας πήγε ξανά στη Μόσχα

(φωτό από τη συνάντηση της Γκούτσουλ με τον Πούτιν στο Σότσι, τον Μάρτιο) Η Ευγενία Γκούτσουλ, επικεφαλής της Αυτόνομης Περιφέρειας της Γκαγκαουζίας στη Μολδαβία, επισκέφτηκε ξανά τη Μόσχα. Αυτή τη φορά υπέγραψε συμφωνία με τη μοσχοβίτικη τράπεζα Promsvyazbank για την εφαρμογή του ρωσικού συστήματος πληρωμών «Mir» στην επικράτεια της Γκαγκαουζίας. Η Γκούτσουλ, είχε επισκεφθεί τη […] Η επικεφαλής…

[skandaladiaplokidiafthora]

Η επικεφαλής της Γκαγκαουζίας πήγε ξανά στη Μόσχα

(φωτό από τη συνάντηση της Γκούτσουλ με τον Πούτιν στο Σότσι, τον Μάρτιο) Η Ευγενία Γκούτσουλ, επικεφαλής της Αυτόνομης Περιφέρειας της Γκαγκαουζίας στη Μολδαβία, επισκέφτηκε ξανά τη Μόσχα. Αυτή τη φορά υπέγραψε συμφωνία με τη μοσχοβίτικη τράπεζα Promsvyazbank για την εφαρμογή του ρωσικού συστήματος πληρωμών «Mir» στην επικράτεια της Γκαγκαουζίας. Η Γκούτσουλ, είχε επισκεφθεί τη […] Η επικεφαλής…

[crynotifier]

Russian Banks MTS, PSB Begin Digital Ruble Tests

Russian Banks MTS, PSB Begin Digital Ruble Tests

Source: Alexandr Blinov/Adobe

The Russian banks MTS and PSB have begun testing the digital ruble, with “entrepreneurs” using the CBDC to pay for “services.”

The nation’s Central Bank has fast-tracked its CBDC project in recent weeks, and is eyeing a 2025-2027 national rollout.

The banks, along with the likes of VTB Bank, say that their customers and employees have carried out “real-world” transactions with the coin after advanced pilots began last week.

Per Content-Review, MTS’s payment technology chief Igor Chuchkin said the bank was “delighted to be among the first Russian banks to participate in the digital ruble pilot.”

Chuchkin said:

“We plan to look into more digital ruble-related offerings that we can offer our customers in the future, and we will base these on our initial experiences during the pilot.”

Meanwhile, PSB (full name: Promsvyazbank), gave details of one of the “real-world” digital ruble transactions carried out on its platform.

Per the media outlet Argumenti i Facti, PSB this week enabled one of its clients to “open a digital wallet” and use an app-generated QR code to “successfully make a payment for services.”

The bank said the client was an entrepreneur who “works in the field of online education.”

The media outlet added:

“The entrepreneur was also able to exchange digital rubles for [conventional] rubles and vice versa via the PSB mobile app, and carried out a B2C (business-to-customer) transaction in digital rubles.”

Transaction fees using the digital ruble have been set at 0.3%, although P2P transactions can be made free of charge, the Central Bank has stated.

Russian Banks Pushing for CBDC Progress?

Some 11 other Russian banks are also testing the CBDC with a select group of their clients in almost a dozen cities nationwide.

The Central Bank says that 16 other banks, including a number of regional banks, are “ready” to “quickly” join the pilot.

But not all of the country’s biggest banks are keen on the CBDC.

The nation’s biggest banking association has called on the Central Bank to slow the pace of the pilot.

And two Russian “megabanks,” Sberbank and Tinkoff, dropped out of the pilot at the eleventh hour.

It is currently unclear if the duo will join the pilot at a later date, or if they will wait until they are legally obliged to process CBDC transactions.

Earlier this year, experts claimed commercial banks could lose $684 million a year if the Central Bank launched a CBDC.

The Information contained in or provided from or through this website is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, trading advice, or any other advice.

New Post has been published on https://crynotifier.com/russian-banks-mts-psb-say-customers-are-now-using-digital-ruble-htm/

[globalbankinghouse-blog]

Is It Easy To Manipulate International Financial Systems? - Ananyev Brothers And Promsvyazbank

The simultaneous rise of information systems technology and the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe and northern Asia in the early 1990s offered immense opportunities for ambitious and enthusiastic people. Sadly, for some people legitimate success is not enough. A case in point being Ananyev brothers- Dmitry and Alexey Ananyev.

They founded Technoserv in 1992, which became Russia’s top information technology (IT) company servicing Ministry of Interior, FSB (intel) and Russian government. Three years after that and after having become billionaires, the Ananyevs teamed with Moscow Intercity and International Telephone to establish Promsvyazbank. It was quite sensible for multi-billion-dollar corporations, particularly in unstable Russia, to create their own banking institutions. Credit unions in America are formed by corporations who wish to protect finances and wisely invest in the future of their own employees.

Promsvyazbank appeared to be a story of success for more than 25 years. Moscow Telephone in time sold off its interests, and the Ananyev brothers became leading shareholders. Promsvyazbank, along the way acquired two more banks, Vozrozhdenie and Avtoaz where Vozrozhdenie would come to play a significant role in what is now realized to be far less than legitimate business. Promsvyazbank, unfortunately was turned into a personal slush fund for the Ananyev brothers’ other financial ventures with the investors picking up the tab, and Cyprus and the Cayman Islands became off-shore tax havens.

Promsvyazbank, further shipping money overseas involved American banks of Citicorp, JP Morgan and New York Mellon. Though there’s no evidence to suspect the American banks, or even their London counterparts, of being intentionally involved in Promsvyazbank’s criminal activity. However, these banks likely contributed to the scheming through complacency or ignoring red flags. The U.S. financial collapse of 2008, the failure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and the Bernie Madoff scandal, showed that during this period of time the U.S. banking system was not aggressively protecting itself against destruction and exploitation.

The Promsvyazbank bubble broke in August 2017, until then the Ananyevs were able to keep their illegitimate activities hidden. Four months later, in December, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) assumed administration of Promsvyazbank, and in the meantime the Ananyev brothers pulled an inside-bank heist via electronically-given loans, leaving investors with little to nothing with the money first being transferred to the less-monitored Cyprus branch of Promsvyazbank. Hundreds of credit files were removed as well.

The brothers, by involving the American and European banks in their schemes were able to provide a perception of trustworthiness. It should be noted that Russians trust Western banks more than their own, which has come back to haunt the Ananyevs as they are now subject to much stricter legal standards and investigative capabilities of Western governments.

Dmitry Ananyev, fled to Cyprus and Alexey to London and then to Austria, it only made it easier for Western governments to arrest them with there currently being legal actions against Promsvyazbank filed in the courts of Moscow, London and New York City. The sad part is these courts appear to be moving at the pace of a startled snail. Moreover, even the investigations by various authorities are incomplete, allowing for manipulation and abuse of the legal systems by the Ananyev brothers’ attorneys.

It is only Russia that appears to be ready for full prosecution with the motivation not being solely because its citizens have been hurt the most. The fall of Promsvyazbank has opened an opportunity for the government while having financially injured Russian investors. The CBR, also known as “Putin’s Bank,” by assuming administrative control of all the Ananyevs’ banking institutions is one major step closer to consolidating the Russian financial system. It allows the potential to avoid U.S. sanctions by using unlisted banks, too.

We can say that the Ananyev’s have proven how easy it is to manipulate international financial systems. A great lesson that it is, should also not be lost on the Trump administration and Congress. It necessitates tougher sanctions, tougher laws, a continually updated sanctions list and more thorough investigative oversight to prevent American financial institutions from being manipulated in the future. Fortunately, now the technology is available to monitor and implement early detection of shady financial transactions, and accountability needs to be enacted on American banks that ignore both laws and red flags.

In the same way, pressure must be imposed on countries like Austria, UK and Cyprus to limit the illegal flow of finances. All governments should be helping to recover the embezzled money and support the arrest of the brothers rather than providing sanctuary to them as what the brothers accomplished could almost be termed financial terrorism. Like terrorism, it isn’t going to be resolved until government and non-government authorities take appropriate and timely measure.

The latest money laundering scandals in Deutsche Bank, Nordea, Danske had highlighted the amounts of money which were laundered by Russian intelligence service and oligarchs. The case of Ananyevs, when properly investigated, will bring incredible intelligence as to how our critical infrastructure financial systems were captured by oligarchs, shady banks and groups associated with foreign intelligence services.

[falramentaparlament]

A Paks2-őt finanszírozó VEB orosz bank is felkerült az EU tiltólistájára a Politico szerint. Az évszázad legrosszabb üzletéből már a pénz is hiányzik. Ahogyan a társadalmi támogatás, üzleti megtérülés, törésvonal miatt a biztonsági garanciák is hányoznak. Csak Orbán és Putyin közti lánc tartja felszínen ezt a projektet.  Mindeközben a finn kormány is felülvizsgálja az agresszió miatt a saját orosz atomerőmű fejlesztését. A magyar kormány hallgat.

[mariacallous]

Experts in Moldova have welcomed the move by private banks to get in line with international sanctions against Russia, after all banks in the country by Friday had stopped collaborating with the Russian Zolotaya Korona [Golden Crown] money transfer system, which had been the only remaining way to transfer money between Moldova and Russia.

“These banks made an risk assessment and decided that it was right time to proceed this way, rather than being influenced by the Moldovan government, which has always hesitated to impose sanctions on Russia,” Veaceslav Ionita, an economic expert from the Chisinau-based think tank IDIS Viitorul, told BIRN.

But he noted that the stoppage will create big problems for Moldovans in Russia who send money back home. Ionita estimated that about 70 per cent of remittances sent home from Russia come through the banking system.

“I feel sorry for our citizens [in Russia]. There are some, by the way, who are not there as seasonal workers but for 20 or 30 years. It’s an inconvenience, but I understand that our banks have done a risk assessment and, for them, it’s [now] an inherent risk [to transfer money from Russia],” Ionita added.

Four Moldovan banks, Comertbank, Fincombank, Eurocreditbank, and Energbank, previously allowed transfers through this system. The banks did not offer an explanation for the sudden change in rules. 

But the measure comes ahead of presidential elections and a European integration referendum on October 20 and after the US imposed new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

New US sanctions against Russian companies in the technology sector include the Novosibirsk-based Center of Financial Technologies, the company which developed the Zolotaya Korona money system.

Zolotaya Korona allows users to transfer instant money without opening an account and operates widely in the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, a bloc of former Soviet countries, and abroad.

In recent years, the number of Moldovan migrants in Russia has decreased, starting with the Coronavirus epidemic in 2020 and continuing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The exact number of Moldovan citizens still in Russia is unclear. In 2021, Moldova said it believed 354,200 Moldovan citizens were living in Russia. But experts in Russia in 2022 counted only 76,600.

The volume of remittances has also fallen sharply,, from 442 million dollars in 2022 to 188 million dollars in 2021. By then, Russia was in fourth place as a source country, after Israel, Italy and Germany.

At the same time, during that year, the average transfer increased from 326 to 693 dollars. The most recent data, for the third quarter of 2023, show that Russia’s share in the structure of remittances fell to 9.5 per cent.

Personal remittances received by Moldovan residents, from Russia, in the first quarter of 2024 totalled 435.33 million dollars, down by 6.5 per cent from the same period of the previous year. But this volume still represents 11.5 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Russian money is still coming into the Moldova’s pro-Russian Gagauzia region, however, where cards from the Russian MIR payment system are being used illegally.

The governor of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutu, said in April that she had agreed with Russia’s Promsvyazbank that civil servants and pensioners in the region would be able to open accounts and would each receive about 2,000 lei [100 euros] per month “from our partners” via the Russian bank.

The transactions with the Russian MIR cards are being investigated by the Money Laundering Prevention and Combating Service, as well as the Combating Terrorism Service.

The governor of the National Bank of Moldova warned in June that the use of these cards, which are not accepted by the banking system of Moldova, may have criminal consequences.

MIR cards are also being used in Moldova’s breakaway Russian-controlled region of Transnistria.

[ssbprep]

OPK Write-Off

President Vladimir Putin has apparently agreed to a major write-off of Russian defense industry debt. It’s a significant story not receiving much attention.

Putin with VTB chief Kostin in August 2019

The decision came in a secret presidential ukaz at the end of 2019. VTB chief Andrey Kostin broke the news in a late January interview with Rossiya 24television at the World Economic Forum in…

[russianreader]

House of Cards A disembodied hand proudly holding a Sberbank-issued Mir car. Photo courtesy of PressTV Central Bank Preparing for Cutoff of Some Banks from International Payment Systems…

[stupitdodopooopoookaka]

Russia moves to save Promsvyazbank in third bailout this year December 15, 2017 By Tatiana Voronova and Jack Stubbs MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has stepped in to rescue Promsvyazbank, the country’s 10th largest private lender, its central bank said on Friday, the third in a series of costly financial bailouts this year. Promsvyazbank (PSB) is the latest banking casualty since late August, when the central […] #Politics #Moves #Promsvyazbank #Russia #Bailout

[kemvid]

Russia bails out major private lender Promsvyazbank - https://fer4.com/?p=60360 - #Bails, #Lender, #Major, #News, #Private, #Promsvyazbank, #Russia

[globalbankinghouse-blog]

Promsvyazbank By Ananyev Brothers Left Boris Mintz Without 13.3 Billion Rubles

Our article today will focus on a “feigned deal” that involved placement of the managing company NPF "Future" of Boris Mints deposits for 13.3 billion rubles in Promsvyazbank in order to ensure the receipt of money from the sale of 10% of Promsvyazbank itself the day before it was reorganized- this was a point raised by a representative of the PSB during the hearings on the lawsuit on controversial deposits in 2018.

This is how the scheme looked according to the lawyers of the PSB: On December 11, 2017 the Central Bank issued to Dmitri Ananyev (at the time the head of the PSB and his co-owner) an order to complete the reserves for 100 billion rubles, and "it was clear that this amount would not be covered." The members of the bank's board of directors, including Dmitry Mints (the son of Boris Mints, the main shareholder of the "Future" group), were to receive information about the order right away. According to the lawyer of the PSB, the Future Fund, on December 14, from 18:13 to 18:49, almost sold its stake in Mossbirge to Promsvyaz Capital B.V. (at that time the main shareholder of Promsvyazbank), while Promsvyaz Capital B.V. paid for the shares at the expense of the bank. Just after half an hour, deposits began to be made to the accounts of the management company of this NPF - Concord Asset Management- in the bank. Two business days later, on December 18, the transaction was paid in accordance with the rules of the Mossbirge.

In January (2018), the bank’s capital was written off to 1 ruble, so if the APF did not sell the shares, it would have lost its investment. Furthermore, the share in the PSB, owned by NPF "Future", "would have fallen from 8 billion rubles up to 8 kopecks.” Knowing about the future sanation, NPF sold shares and put 13.3 billion rubles, pension savings of their customers to the account in that bank realizing that the Central Bank would save the bank and the funds on deposits could be returned.

Unrelated Transactions:

During the court session, “Concord Asset Management” recalled that since December 7, 2017, they signed with Ananyev Promsvyazbank several agreements on the placement of deposits for a total of 13.3 billion rubles. But on December 15, the bank’s credit rating changed in connection with the decision of the Central Bank to sanitize Promsvyazbank, and after that, the company decided to return the deposits, but the bank ignored that claim, which it tried to challenge in the court of Concord.

The management company emphasized that the placement of deposits and payment for shares were not related. Talking about the sale of shares and the placement of a deposit, the company pointed out that the rehabilitation of a number of banks was accompanied by a write-off of capital and a complete depreciation of investments in shares, while obligations on deposits remained. Therefore, FG "Future", the mother company of NPF "Future" acted on the basis of the logic of managers in that situation.

The Central Bank, which was brought to the dispute as a third person, believed that the placement of deposits in the PSB was not dictated by financial and economic feasibility.

Although, FG “Future” press service stated that Dmitry Mints was not a member of the board of directors of Promsvyazbank since September 2017 and "could not have relevant information", Dmitry Mints appeared as a member of the board of directors on the list of affiliated entities of Promsvyazbank on December 31, which was explained by outdated data in the list in the press service of FG “Future”.

FG "Future" showed a loss of 16.4 billion rubles following the results of 2017. According to the results of the first quarter of 2018, the assets of APF "Future", the largest of the funds of Boris Mints, were 308.9 billion rubles, 4.5 million people were its customers. 75% FG "Future" was then mortgaged on a loan from the Moscow Credit Bank (MKB) for 25 billion rubles. Roman Avdeev, the owner of the IBC, transferred the debt to its structure, the Rossium concern, and she raised the Cyprus Riverstretch Trading & Investments (RT & I) to "structure the deal." It was a question of whether the debt was about to or already had been assigned to the Cyprus company. Although the company was associated with GC Region, but the group outright denied connection with the offshore company.

Follow The Washington Times article “Global banking’s house of cards” for detailed information.