VEDOMOSTI. Oleg Malis’s Solvers Group has grabbed 51% of Cyprus-based Trellas, through which Svyaznoy Group owner Maxim Nogotkov owned all his assets, namely mobile goods chain Svyaznoy, online store Enter, Svyaznoy Bank and jewelry chain Pandora, business daily Vedomosti wrote citing Solvers.
The newspaper noted that at the beginning of this week Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim Group assigned to Solvers the rights of claim under a $120 mln credit facility advanced to Nogotkov. A month ago Onexim Group and private pension fund Blagosostoyanie (Nogotkov owes around Rub 3 bln to the fund) said that they gained around 90% of Svyaznoy and Enter for debt. Nogotkov was to retain the bank and a controlling interest in Pandora (hypothecated at Sberbank) plus 10—15% of Svyaznoy Group / Enter.
In the deal with Oleg Malis Maxim Nogotkov lost control over all his assets, including the bank and the jewelry chain, he confirmed yesterday in an interview with Vedomosti. The bank’s strategy will be defined by the new shareholder, while Nogotkov is ready “to help by giving advices”. Which interest Nogotkov still holds in Trellas is still being discussed.
Svyaznoy Bank was a brainchild of Nogotkov, for the sake of which he took out loans and which he tried to rescue until the last minute, the paper specified. Nogotkov spent over Rub 12 bln to roll out the bank and later to cover its losses. “Maxim is crazy about his bank, he is confident that this is the most technologically developed bank in the country with enormous prospects, it’s only necessary to tide over a crisis," an Onexim Group source said in late November.
A couple of weeks ago Maxim Nogotkov hoped to find a co-investor for the bank and convinced the Bank of Russia to give him some time to get this done, two acquaintances of the banker said.
In late November Nogotkov borrowed €11 mln from Allians Group-affiliated Musa Bazhaev and Finprombank co-owner Anatoly Goncharov, said acquaintances of Nogotkov and Bazhaev. Goncharov provided Svyaznoy Bank with a €11 mln subordinated loan, said Nogotkov. According to the latter, he also provided Goncharov with a call option to buy shares of Svyaznoy / Enter. Allians Group’s spokesman said on Thursday that Bazhaev pulled out of Finprombank several years ago and declined to make any other comments, while Goncharov was unavailable.
Oleg Malis has so far had no idea how to develop Svyaznoy Bank or what a condition it is in. “We want to roll out these assets, but we are acting as a creditor that received hypothecation involuntarily. Before settling issues of specific development it is essential to examine the condition of all assets," he said.
