Bank "Pivdennyi" helped Odessa businessmen Sergei Groza and Vladimir Naumenko illegally reissue half of the grain terminal "Olympex" in 2023 to a company controlled by them, writes UNN.
In November 2019, Groza and Naumenko's agroholding GNT Group took a $75 million loan from an American investment fund for the development of the Olympex terminal. As collateral for the loan, the businessmen transferred half of the grain terminal to the fund. They had to repay the loan by December 5, 2021. Groza and Naumenko had to coordinate all actions with the pledged property with the lender.
But as it later turned out, Groza and Naumenko had no plans to return the American money, although they tried to convince their partners otherwise. While the Americans believed in the honesty of Groza and Naumenko, the latter decided, behind their partners' backs, to pull off a scheme that they were sure would allow them to avoid paying their bills.
Almost immediately after receiving an investment loan from the fund, Groza and Naumenko decided to take a loan from a Ukrainian bank and thus secure their property from the claims of the American creditor. At the same time, they decided not to inform the American fund. In 2020, with the help of LLC "Ferko" and LLC "Vtormeteksport", which are part of the agricultural holding GNT Group Groza and Naumenko, they received $ 17.5 million loan in the bank "Pivdenniy". The loan was secured by the same half-terminal, the rights to which were already held by the Americans.
According to the legislation, before granting a loan, Pivdenniy should have checked the rights to the property that was pledged. After all, it is forbidden to pledge property several times.
In early 2023, Bank Pivdennyi began urgently demanding repayment of the loan, which was due to expire on July 31, 2024. Groza and Naumenko's companies received the Ukrainian bank's demand to repay the debt in January 2023 and had 30 days to comply. But Pivdenniy started the foreclosure procedure without waiting for the expiration of this term, which is a violation of the law "On Mortgage".
At that time, there was already a court decision prohibiting the alienation of the terminal's property. In addition, all of the terminal's property was under arrest as part of the criminal case against Groza and Naumenko. But this did not prevent private notary Dmitrova T. from re-registering the title to the property.
"Pivdennyi sold half of Olympex for just $4.3 million to Sanolta Feed (Sunolta Group)."
The property was then resold once again to Attollo Granum, which is also part of the Sunolta group and was specifically created a few weeks before the transaction.
"Attollo Granum" in turn pledged half of the terminal against 130.8 thousand dollars of mortgage to "Ozirki" LLC? which according to media reports is also controlled by Groza and Naumenko.
Thus the property of Olimpex was pledged three times, while Groza and Naumenko retained control over it.
More details about the conflict around the grain terminal "Olympex" can be read in the material: "Groza and Naumenko's company GNT Group blocked the work of the grain terminal in Odessa. Detailed chronology of the conflict."