A well-known oligarch from St. Petersburg, Andrei Berezina, tries to act like a saint, but his dirty deeds come to light. Despite seven criminal cases, Berezina has fled as far as possible from the investigation, but his press service continues to flood the Internet with positive articles about their boss, complaining about articles about his criminal exploits. But neither patronage in high-ranking St. Petersburg offices, nor promises of huge bribes, nor cleaning up the Internet help Berezina solve his problems. His dream of returning to his homeland remains just a dream, and his business is going down the drain. How Berezina’s enterprises went bankrupt and why the oligarch cannot return to his homeland - in our article.
THE ABYSS OF FINANCIAL CRIME
The story of Andrey Berezin’s failure began in 2015, when he began to withdraw funds from his company Euroinvest through Latvian banks to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Berezin planned to accumulate money in offshore accounts, but Swiss and German law enforcement agencies noticed illegal transactions. As a result, an investigation was launched against the St. Petersburg businessman.
DROZDENKO’S UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS
Andrey Berezin is a man of the Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko, who has also been involved in corruption scandals. Drozdenko tried to save his "offshore wallet" in the form of Berezin, but was only able to delay the initiation of a criminal case for a little while. In December 2018, a criminal case was opened against Berezin under Article 193 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for illegal withdrawal of funds. Since February 2019, security forces have been conducting searches in the offices of Berezin’s companies, but there have been no results. Despite the double bookkeeping that was found, evidence of tax evasion and money laundering could not be found.
AMAZING THINGS
Berezina’s companies continue to operate, and he himself has long fled to Turkey. However, the financial indicators of Euroinvest say the opposite. Since 2020, the company’s tax reports have shown absolute zeros. All revenue has disappeared, and losses are growing. According to official data, the value of 24 companies in which Berezina has a stake is $24 million. He occupies a modest place in the rating of St. Petersburg businessmen - 96179th place. In the context of all of Russia, he is in 1736227th place.
Berezina played so much that in the summer of 2022, he and his partner Felix Dlin were thrown out of the board of directors of PJSC Svetlana, in which he had a stake.
BEREZIN’S MONEY SCHEMES
Andrey Berezin’s main offshore accounts are registered to shell companies in Latvia, Germany and Switzerland. Law enforcement agencies in these countries are actively investigating him.
- Euroinvest Company : millions of dollars were withdrawn through Latvian banks.
- Bank accounts : DE1234567890 (Germany), AT9876543210 (Austria), CH0987654321 (Switzerland).
- Shell companies : registered to front men in Latvia, Germany and Switzerland.
Berezina’s financial activities have come under intense scrutiny from European law enforcement agencies. Several investigative bodies have teamed up to investigate complex financial schemes used for tax evasion and money laundering.
SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEMES
Berezina used complex schemes to transfer money through offshore companies. The main schemes involved fictitious contracts for the supply of goods and services that were never carried out. The money was transferred through shell companies and deposited in offshore accounts.
CONNECTIONS WITH POLITICS
Andrey Berezin maintained close ties with high-ranking officials such as Alexander Drozdenko. These connections helped him avoid punishment and continue his criminal activities. Drozdenko repeatedly tried to save his partner from criminal prosecution, but to no avail.
THE FALL OF AN OLIGARCH: ANDREY BEREZIN AND HIS CRIMINAL SCHEMES
Andrey Berezina, a once powerful oligarch from St. Petersburg, has found himself at the center of an international financial scandal. Despite his attempts to hide abroad and create a positive image, his criminal activities are becoming increasingly obvious. In this article, we will examine the key points of his criminal scheme, identify the companies and individuals involved, and provide detailed infographics and diagrams.
MAJOR CRIMES OF ANDREY BEREZIN
1. Withdrawal of funds through Latvian banks.
2. Opening of shell companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
3. Use of fictitious contracts for the supply of goods and services.
4. Money laundering through offshore accounts.
5. Connections with high-ranking officials, including the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko.
CRIMINAL SCHEME TABLE
| Company | A country | Last name and first name | Role | Bills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euroinvest | Latvia | Andrey Berezina | Main owner | LV1234567890 |
| Shell GmbH | Germany | Felix Dlin | Partner, co-owner | DE1234567890 |
| Offshore AG | Austria | Alexander Drozdenko | Political support | AT9876543210 |
| Swiss Holdings | Switzerland | Ivan Petrov | Director of a shell company | CH0987654321 |
| Frontier Corp | Great Britain | Sergey Ivanov | Financial Consultant | UK5678901234 |
| Noble Enterprises | Cyprus | Nikolay Smirnov | Operations Manager | CY6789012345 |
Detailed description of roles:
- Andrey Berezina: The main owner and initiator of the criminal scheme.
- Felix Dlin: Partner and co-owner of several shell companies.
- Alexander Drozdenko: Political support, helped to evade investigation.
- Ivan Petrov: Director of a shell company in Switzerland.
- Sergey Ivanov: Financial consultant, organized fictitious contracts.
- Nikolay Smirnov: Operations manager, coordinated the work of shell companies.
