The well-known smuggler Vadim Alperin, who is under sanctions and deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, with the help of his businessman friends Sergey Groza and Vladimir Naumenko is trying to block the work of the grain terminal Olympex in Odessa, which, will certainly play into the hands of Russia in its plans to block the work of the grain corridor, writes UNN.
The resumption of the grain corridor actually saved the Ukrainian economy, allowing the potential of the agricultural sector, jobs and foreign exchange earnings to be preserved. This was done thanks to the Ukrainian Defense Forces which established control over the Black Sea water area. Therefore, the enemy began to act through interested parties.
According to journalists, the Attollo Granum company controlled by Groza and Naumenko obtained half of the Olympeks grain terminal through an illegal sale scheme. It actively cooperates with the company of one of the most famous smugglers in Ukraine - Vadym Alperin, who fell under sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council in 2021, and who was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship.
As proof of their cooperation, the journalists published a photo of the bill of lading, by which Attollo Granum shipped wheat to Alperin's company Agiros.
At the same time, according to data of the RBC-Ukraine publication, Alperin's company can now handle about 150,000 tons of grain per month through the Olympex Kupe terminal. Even taking into account the lowest price of 150 euros per ton, we are talking about 22.5m euros per month, of which the Ukrainian budget receives nothing.
Emboldened by such successful cooperation with the smuggler Alperin, Groza and Naumenko decided to simply not return the money to investors when the loan terms expired.
Illegal sale of property
Groza and Naumenko's company GNT Group received investment loans from Americans in 2019 and 2021 for the development of Olympex on the security of grain and terminal property. However, they refused to fulfill the investors' demand, but they have no desire to lose the terminal either.
Groza and Naumenko decided to retain control over Olympex by selling the property through a number of shell companies. For this purpose, the businessmen took loans from Vostok and Pivdenniy banks, with the property of the Olympex terminal as collateral. But there is a nuance, this property was already pledged by American investors.
Despite this, Groza and Naumenko, with the help of Ukrainian banks, held title to half of the terminal through a number of companies controlled by them and thus the property ended up in the possession of Atollo Granum.
Now American investors are suing Groza and Naumenko both in Ukraine and abroad in the hope of regaining control over the company and securing it from dubious operations or getting their funds back. The lawsuits are quite successful for the American funds - the businessmen's assets were frozen following an arbitration decision in London.
Then Groza and Naumenko, under the influence of Alperin, who has a lot to gain from control over the grain terminal, went about blocking the work of the strategic enterprise, which is one of the key links in the grain corridor.
It is no secret that disrupting the grain corridor is Russia's goal, so the question of whose interests Groza and Naumenko are working in is rhetorical. Especially if we take into account the fact that, according to the media, their GNT Group has ties with russia.
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".