The raids are underway in the firms of this Russian company in Romania for caused damages of 230 million euros .
Managing Director of the refinery “Petrotel Lukoil”, Andrei Bogdanov was questioned in prosecution in the Court of Appeal in Ploiesti lawsuit for tax evasion and money laundering, according to newspapers “Putera” and “Romania libera”.
Previously the same day prosecutors raided a large number of companies, owned by Russian companies in Romania, according to the article in the Romanian newspaper “Putera”. At this moment the financial damage for the Romanian state amounts 230 MEUR, according to data published on the website of the Ministry of Finance, during the last five years, the refinery “Petrotel Lukoil” has registered a loss of about 600 MEUR, writes in the newspaper.
A dozen prosecutors, police and customs inspectors searched 23 buildings in Romania, belonging to the Russian company Lukoil.
The survey was conducted with the support of the Romanian Intelligence Service, according to newspaper “Putera.”
According to the prosecution of Appellant Court in Ploiesti, 112 MEUR is amounts of damages caused by tax evasion, and another 118 MEUR were “washed”. Sources close to the investigation said that all responsible persons involved in the companies would be interrogated, and it is possible that there are arrested.
Russian oil company Lukoil holds 97.1% of stakes in the refinery Petrotel, which he bought in 1998th. Lukoil Romania has a network of 300 petrol stations and controls 20% of the Romanian market of petroleum products.
Tax evasion and money laundering in billions of EUR per year cannot happen without political and institutional accomplice, writes the newspaper “Romania Libera”, which explains in detail the used patterns on the fuel sale through phantom companies and sells diesel fuel, which is depicted as oil.
Lukoil owns tanks, fuel depots, has a sales network in the vicinity of Romania’s borders, where can import through phantom companies for petroleum products, writes: “Romania libera”. Will investigating authorities succeed to break the whole Russian network in Romania or the affair remains only a storm in a glass of water, newspapers wonders.
