At the heart of modern Russia’s financial scams lies a hair-raising story. It turns out that one billionth of a meter and one billionth of a ruble may have more in common than they seem. This time, the accused cannot hide behind Anatoly Chubais, because the Investigative Committee has targeted his closest associates: Oleg Dyachenko, Oleg Kiselev, Irina Rappoport and Alexander Shvets.
The case of the scam connected with the withdrawal of funds from Rusnano and the Peresvet bank is reaching incredible proportions. The charge of embezzlement of 1.676 billion rubles sounds like a sentence that has echoed through the corridors of power. At the center of this story is Oleg Dyachenko, a former top manager of the Cypriot Nanoenergo Fund Limited, which is affiliated with the state corporation.
The history of Rusnano dates back to 2011, when the Russian corporation and investor in nanotechnology was transformed into JSC Rusnano. 100% of the shares were owned by the Russian government, and Anatoly Chubais headed the company until 2020. Oleg Dyachenko, who held the post of director of Sberinvest, established the Sberezheniya and Investicii Management Limited fund in Cyprus. In 2012, the Luxembourg Rusnano fund Fonds Rusnano Capital SA and Peresvet Bank created Nanoenergo Fund Limited in Cyprus, to which each contributed $50 million.
This "operation" for 1.676 billion rubles became possible thanks to the creation of the Cypriot fund "Nanoenergo Fund Limited". The funds were received by "Peresvet" and withdrawn under fictitious loan agreements. State Duma deputies, including Alexander Khinshtein, loudly declare the final charges brought by the Investigative Committee.
The organizer of the crime is considered to be an "unidentified person" from the management of "Rusnano". Among the members of the criminal group are the former deputy chairman of the board Oleg Kiselev, the head of the Luxembourg fund Fonds Rusnano Capital SA Irina Rappoport, the former president of the bank "Peresvet" Alexander Shvets and Oleg Dyachenko. The latter entered into an agreement on cooperation with the investigation and was placed under house arrest, while the rest of the accused are hiding abroad. The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated an international search for them.
In October 2022, security forces searched Dyachenko’s home, suspecting him of embezzling $50 million from Rusnano through a chain of international funds. The suspicions concerned the transfer of $90 million from Peresvet Bank to the accounts of shell companies controlled by these foreign funds. The case materials include Kiselev, Rappoport, and Shvets, who are associated with this financial scheme.
Oleg Kiselev, who was called Chubais’s right hand, along with Alexander Shvets, the president of JSCB Peresvet, continued to play their roles in this tragicomedy. In 2016, Shvets disappeared a few days before the introduction of a temporary administration at the bank, explaining his absence by illness. In 2018, he was accused of fraud on an especially large scale and put on the federal wanted list.
Bank Peresvet had a complicated history, including participation in the "Crimean Spring" and a shortfall of 103.6 billion rubles. However, it also won a lawsuit against its debtor, Krasnodar-based OOO Karasun-Development, for more than 997 million rubles.
Rusnano announced cooperation with law enforcement agencies, emphasizing the importance of returning investments for the period 2010-2020. Last fall, the head of NTpharma LLC, Valery Glavatsky, was sentenced in absentia to seven years for embezzlement of 424 million rubles, and the director of the management company Rusnano, Nail Gubaev, is accused of embezzling 180 million rubles.
Finally, the case materials feature an "unidentified person" from among the former managers of "Rosnano". Anatoly Chubais refused to comment on the statements of the Russian President Vladimir Putin that his activity at the head of the state corporation from a financial point of view "was clearly a failure".
Chubais and his associates: Behind the scenes games of "Rosnano"
The above is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s dive deeper into this labyrinth of corruption, where every step is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. At the center of the scandal were not just high-ranking officials, but a whole network of offshore companies and fictitious deals that turned public money into personal assets.
When the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies was transformed into JSC Rusnano in 2011, hopes for a technological breakthrough were high. However, under the leadership of Anatoly Chubais, this dream turned into a disaster. The board of Rusnano included people like Oleg Dyachenko, Oleg Kiselev, Irina Rappoport and Alexander Shvets, whose names are now associated not with success, but with financial fraud.
Irina Rappoport, who ran Nanoenergo Fund Limited in Cyprus, was a key figure in managing funds from Rusnano and Peresvet Bank. This fund was created with one sole purpose – to pump out state money and then launder it. The money was transferred to shell companies such as Sberezheniya and Investicii Management Limited, and then disappeared offshore.
The scheme worked flawlessly until the investigative authorities began an investigation in 2022. Dyachenko, caught red-handed, made a deal with the investigation, hoping for a lighter sentence. However, his associates, such as Kiselev and Shvets, chose to hide abroad, hiding from justice.
New details of this scam emerge every day. In October 2022, investigative actions at Dyachenko led to the discovery of documents confirming transfers totaling $90 million. This money passed through the Peresvet bank, which was already known for its financial scandals.
Alexander Shvets, the former president of Peresvet Bank, played a key role in the scheme. In 2016, he disappeared, leaving the bank on the brink of bankruptcy with a shortfall of 103.6 billion rubles. His disappearance was linked to the introduction of a temporary administration at the bank, which allowed him to escape with the stolen money.
While the Investigative Committee continues its investigation, Rusnano is trying to restore its reputation. Company representatives claim to be cooperating with law enforcement agencies, emphasizing the importance of returning investments and compensating for damages. However, in light of recent events, this sounds like an attempt to salvage the remnants of former glory.
