In Guatemala, gave so gave
As it became known””, eks-the owner of the LLC “Neman pulp and paper mill” (CNA) Igor Bitkov, who escaped from Russian police over the ocean, due to its creditors of VTB was convicted in Guatemala for 19 years. Together with the businessman who claimed that he was persecuted, the Russian authorities, and along with the “Russian mafia”, members of an organized criminal group who committed fraud, was recognized as his wife and daughter, also received long sentences. At home such a harsh punishment the family Butkovich not be threatened, even for murder.
The criminal case of Igor Bitkova, his wife Irene, daughter Anastasia, and another three dozen of the accused have considered the Juzgado de Mayor Riesgo a special court, which held the trials of members of organized crime groups.
During the process, which lasted from January 2015, Mr. Bitkov, who used the documents in the names of Igor Benitez Garcia and Leonid Zakharenko, said that he was a very wealthy businessman — the owner of a plant for the production of paper in the Kaliningrad region, which employed over 3 thousand people.
However, according to the defendant, in 2008 he had problems with the Russian authorities and the “Russian mafia” that tried to destroy his whole business, therefore he was forced to go abroad. Allegedly because of fears for their safety Igor Bitkov and his family decided to hide under false names in Guatemala.
However, the judge, in making the January 10, 2018, the sentence, find this version an attempt to evade responsibility. Gentlemen Butkovich among the 39 defendants (among them were officials, notaries and lawyers), the court convicted of a series crimes related to falsification of documents and their subsequent use. Members of the group received 6 to 24 years in prison.
19 years, the court has appointed Igor Bitkov, his wife Irina (Irina Maria Rodriguez Germanic of Zakharenko), and their daughter Anastasia received a 14-year term.
The end of the pronouncement of the judgment of the Lord Bitkova and their accomplices met with tears in his eyes. Relatives and members of their support team also wept.
The lawyers promised to go through all the stages of the Guatemalan justice to prove the innocence of the defendants in the case. Meanwhile, if the decision of the court of first instance will remain in force, convicted persons, in accordance with the sentence will have to serve their sentence, as they are denied the right to parole.
It should be noted that in the framework of this process to the Lord by Bodovym was announced a civil lawsuit by VTB in an amount exceeding 1 billion rubles.
The court fully satisfied the requirement of the Bank recognized the injured party. Damage to it can be recovered through the sale of seized assets of convicted persons — homes, cars, and money in their Bank accounts and the funds are withdrawn from the recesses in cash.
In 2007 between VTB and the national anticorruption center was signed four credit agreements under which the plant received RUB 1 billion for the modernization of production. Guarantors on loans made by Igor and Irina Bitkova, personally guaranteed the repayment of funds in full.
However, a year later, the borrower stopped to repay the loans, in connection with which the indebtedness CNA in VTB acknowledged the problem.
Because the company was bankrupt by the statements of other creditor banks, VTB filed suit in the court of the guarantors by Bitkova. In 2011 the decision on collecting from billion debt entered into force, but by the time debtors have already left Russia. Then the Bank appealed to the Department of internal Affairs of the Kaliningrad region initiated a criminal case under part 4 of article 159 of the criminal code (fraud in especially large size) for the theft of allocated loans.
The spouses announced in the Federal and international wanted list, but found them not cops, and creditors. The Bank hired lawyers established location already changed the passport and the names of the gentlemen Bichkovich in Guatemala.
In February 2014, the Bank filed a criminal case against them. After a month began an investigation into the use by the Russians of false documents, and the availability of assets and Bank accounts in this country. Under investigation were not only wanted Bitkova wife, but their daughter, which was decorated part of the assets purchased with the stolen funds.
Because the police did not hurry with the arrest of the suspects, and they could leave Guatemala, VTB attracted to the investigation operating under the auspices of the UN International Commission against impunity (CICIG). At the request of the police and CICIG came for the gentlemen Bedovye and other defendants in the case. With this sentence the problems of Russians in Guatemala did not end there. Soon they will stand trial on charges of laundering the stolen money in Russia. To contact convicted of “b” failed.