Four Russian oligarchs lose their Cypriot citizenship

The deprivation of naturalization by a total of 21 people was decided by the Council of Ministers at its last session, after the inclusion in the list of sanctions of the Commission of four Russians who were granted a golden passport by the Republic of Cyprus in the last decade.

The decision to revoke citizenship includes four Russians, their spouses and their children. The Russians operating in Cyprus are on the EU sanctions list, and are linked to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. According to information from “F”, it was decided to impose the deprivation of the status of Cypriot citizen on Mikhail Gutseriev, Alexander Ponomarenko, Vadim Moskovich, Alexei Kuzmichev and their family members.

The decision of the Minister was taken on the basis of article 113 of the Law on the Population Archive, as amended by Law 113 (I) / 2020, and includes the provisions concerning the deprivation of the status of Cypriot citizen and the process through which it is carried out. Based on the control carried out by the competent Authorities of the Republic of Cyprus in the lists of the Commission, sanctions were identified against only four Russians, who obtained a “golden” passport.

The Commission’s list so far includes 1,100 people, high-ranking Kremlin officials, oligarchs, and other prominent businessmen active in key economic sectors, such as energy, the economy, the media, the defense industry, and the arms industry. “Misinformation and manipulation of information, which systematically spread the Kremlin’s false narrative about the situation in Ukraine,” according to the commission. The list also includes family members of persons who have already been sanctioned for benefiting from the scheme or to avoid circumvention of EU sanctions. EU restrictive measures also apply to 83 entities subject to asset freezing , while EU citizens and companies are barred from raising funds. In addition, natural persons are subject to a travel ban, under which they are not allowed to enter or leave EU territory.

From the main shareholders of Alfa Group

The last Russian with a Cypriot passport to be included in the list of the Commission is Alexei Kuzmichev on 15/3/2022. His fortune exceeds $ 6.6 billion and his name is among the richest people in the world, based on the Forbes list in 2022, while previously his fortune was estimated at 8.8 billion.

He belongs to the close circle of Vladimir Putin. One of the main shareholders of the Alfa Group, born on 15/10/1962 in Kirov, Russia. Alexei Kuzmicev was naturalized Cypriot on 28/2/2019, followed by his wife and three children.

It is a major shareholder in the Alfa Group, which includes Alfa Bank, one of Russia’s largest taxpayers. He is believed to be one of the most influential people in Russia. He has established ties with the President of Russia. Vladimir Putin’s eldest daughter (Maria) was responsible for a charity project called Alfa-Endo, which was funded by Alfa Bank. Vladimir Putin rewarded Alfa Group for its commitment to the Russian authorities by providing political assistance to the group’s plans for foreign investment.

One of the largest landowners in Russia

Vadim Moskovic, one of the largest landowners in Russia and with a strong business interest in Cyprus, received his Cypriot passport after operating on the island on 15/2/2017. His wife and three children followed. Moskovic owns Granada Capital Cy and Ros Agro Plc in Cyprus. Born on 6/4/1967 in Moscow, he is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Rusagro Group with business interests in agriculture and real estate development. In 2004, Vadim Moshkovich founded the Rusagro Group, a major producer of pork, fat and sugar. As a result, Moskovich has come under fire from the Commission for his work in the financial sector, which provides a significant source of revenue for the Russian government. It also remains a minority shareholder of Sberbank.

His name was included in the EU sanctions on 9/3/2022, which states that on February 24, 2022, in the aftermath of the initial stages of the Russian attack on Ukraine, along with 36 other businessmen, he met with President Putin and other members of the Russian government to discuss the impact of the course of action following Western sanctions. The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting proves that he is a member of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and that he supports or implements actions or policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as the stability and security in Ukraine.

He funded Putin’s palace

Alexander Ponomarenko and Chairman of the Board of Sheremetyevo International Airport acquired Cypriot citizenship on 26/5/2016. He was born on 27/10/1964 in the city of Bilohirsk, Ukraine. All three of his children acquired Cypriot citizenship.

Ponomarenko was sanctioned on 28/2/2022 because he has close ties to other oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin, as well as to Sergei Axionov, leader of the so-called “Republic of Crimea” on the territory of the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.

He was involved in financing the luxury building complex near Gelendzhik, believed to be used personally by President Vladimir Putin.

Lukashenko’s close friend

Mikhail Gutseriyev is a prominent Russian businessman with interests in Belarus in the fields of energy, potash, hospitality and others. He was born in Akmolinsk, Kazakhstan on 9/5/1958. He has been a Cypriot since 30/10/2013, while later his Cypriot citizenship and his five children acquired Cypriot citizenship. He is an old friend of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and thanks to this fact he has accumulated considerable wealth and influence among the political elite in Belarus. Safmar, a company controlled by Gutseriyev, was the only Russian oil company that continued to supply oil to Belarusian refineries during the energy crisis between Belarus and Russia in early 2020. Gutseriyev was fined on 21/6/21.

Source: philenews.com