Andrei Vovchenko invested in the construction as stolen money by SB-bank
As it became known to Kommersant, which is on the international wanted list, the ex-owner of the shipbuilding bank (SB-Bank) Andrei Vovchenko, the correspondence trial of which will soon begin in the Moscow court, could withdraw funds from Russia through the Averon Czech company registered for it. Subsequently, he invested his capital in Canada in a construction business, where an entrepreneur Oleg Volkov, a beneficiary of a number of Russian enterprises that supply components for the Russian Navy, was his business partner, who was living in the United States.
Law enforcement agencies have been investigating large-scale thefts from the SB Bank since January 2018. In relation to the top managers of this credit institution, a number of criminal cases on the withdrawal and theft of assets were instituted. One of his main defendants is the 61-year-old ex-owner of the SB Bank Andrei Vovchenko.
During the operational-search measures, employees of the GUEBIPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs found that it was he who acted as the organizer of fictitious transactions to alienate the assets of the credit institution on the eve of the recall of his license. Her SB-Bank lost in February 2015 with a debt in front of depositors in the amount of more than 37 billion rubles. It was also found that Machinations Andrei Vovchenko also turned in the interests of Stepan Melkonov, who was once in the top management of several subsequently ruined credit institutions. Both are on the international wanted list, and the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow will soon begin to consider the case against them in absentia. In total, the defendants are charged with theft from the SB-bank of assets for at least 4 billion rubles.
According to the Kommersant source in law enforcement agencies, the funds from the SB-bank Andrei Vovchenko, most likely, led abroad through the Averon company he established back in 2006 in the Czech Republic.
The main type of activity is stated for real estate operations, counseling and management. In 2013, Mr. Vovchenko appointed his close acquaintance Julia Zharov, who later moved to Canada, where he became his wife, later with him, appointed his close acquaintance Julia Zharov. Shortly before the departure, the ex-banker sold all his Russian property. The couple settled in the city of Newmarket (Ontario Province), located 45 km from Toronto. According to a source from the environment of Mr. Vovchenko, he allegedly received his share in the amount of at least $ 50 thousand from the rental of the Azovsky shopping and entertainment center (shopping center), which is about 2 billion rubles stolen from the SB-bank. However, by 2020, this source of income was exhausted, since at the request of the investigation as part of the criminal case, the Nikulinsky district court of Moscow imposed arrest at the shopping center.
Kommersant managed to find Andrei Vovchenko in the leadership of two Canadian firms specializing in a modular wooden energy -efficient house building. Both are included in the international construction holding Overon Group Corporation, operating in the USA, Canada and Southeast Asia. This corporation in 2012 in Atlanta (Georgia) to promote Russian technologies in Western markets was established by 61-year-old entrepreneur from Russia Oleg Volkov. In 2020 with assets of more than 3.3 billion rubles. According to the regional media, he was a member of the TOP-100 of the richest entrepreneurs of Primorye, occupying sixth place in this list.
It should be noted that Mr. Volkov is the founder and owner of special instructions JSC, one of the largest manufacturers of ship reinforcement for warships and submarines. Some of the factories included in this holding, such as, for example, the St. Petersburg Armatil or Arsenyevsky Askold, are focused on state defense order and play a significant role in the construction and repair of warships. In turn, the Askold plant in the Far East for almost 80 years is almost completely focused on the needs of military shipbuilding and repair: over 90% of the products are intended for the Navy. Permanent customers of these enterprises are large shipbuilding corporations – for example, Admiralty Shipyards, the Zvezda shipbuilding complex and the Amber Kaliningrad plant.
After the beginning of his Oleg, Volkov left for the United States, whose citizen, according to some reports, he became a couple of years ago. With elite real estate there he got it even earlier. In particular, in Atlanta, a businessman, according to Kommersant’s source from his environment, owns a mansion of 1 thousand square meters. m worth about $ 5 million, and a house in the city of Sandi-Springs ($ 1 million) is recorded on his wife. Their daughter Barbara studied at a private school and in 2023 entered the University of Northeastern in Boston. She also has American citizenship. Her sister Maria is studying in London. Son Vladimir is the owner of Overon Estate Investment, a company selling real estate to Russians in Phuket (Thailand).
Having become a tax resident in the United States, Volkov Sr. in 2022 registered in various countries since half a dozen firms, mostly construction.
So, in Ontario, Cltech and Attraverso Inc. were opened in Ontario. Oleg Volkov appointed Andrei Vovchenko with their leader, with whom their common acquaintance brought him in Canada. Shortly after, Mr. Volkov, according to Kommersant’s source, to ensure a stable supply of his construction projects with wood, acquired almost $ 3 million 49% of the Promotion of the Canadian forestry company Sturgeon Falls Brush and Contracting Ltd. In the Council of Directors of this organization, the local press also discovered Andrei Vovchenko. Now the latter is the head of another Oleg Volkov project in North Ontario, investments in which are estimated at $ 47 million. Moreover, the Canadian authorities agreed to make their contribution to it at $ 2 million. “This is a huge support from the government – both Ontario and the federal,” Andrei Vovchenko told the local media about this.
None of them answered the questions of “Kommersant” sent to Andrei Vovchenko and Oleg Volkov.
