The High Court of Justice in London has allowed the ex-owner of Vneshprombank, Georgy Bedzhamov, to pay £250,000 of rent for a Monaco apartment, according to Russian news outlet RBC. Bedzhamov’s assets were seized at the behest of the Deposit Insurance Agency, the Russian state corporation providing deposit insurance in the Russian Federation in the spring of 2019, en.crimerussia.com reported on Monday, September 9.

The court also ruled that DIA must pay the fugitive banker’s legal costs of 40,000 euros. At the time of the seizure of Bedzhamov’s assets in April this year, the former banker was banned from spending more than £50,000 as a lump sum without Vneshprombank’s approval and was limited in spending on personal needs and rental housing, since increased to £80,000 per month.

Bedzhmov’s partner Alina Zolotova and their children live in the Monaco apartment, according to en.crimerussia.com, paying rent of £75,000 a month. Due to the spending restrictions, she delayed the rent for months and was given a deadline to pay by September 6.

On September 5, the court allowed Bedzhamov to pay overdue rent of £250,000. The banker’s lawyer told the court in London that Zolotova was looking for cheaper housing.

“Given that Bedzhamov’s partner could be evicted along with the children for non-payment of the rent, the court made a humane decision and allowed a one-time payment until she finds more affordable housing,” said a representative of A1, the investment division of Alfa Group, which deals with DIA trials abroad.

The Central Bank revoked the license of Vneshprombank in 2016 due to a 200-billion-rouble hole ($3.000,000,000) in the bank. Currently, the bank’s property is for sale to pay off debts to creditors.

Bedzhamov is wanted in Russia, and his sister Larisa Markus, who headed the institution, was sentenced to nine years in prison for embezzlement of 113 billion roubles ($1,700,000,000). Bedzhamov was President of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation until being asked to resign “voluntarily” earlier this year.

ORIGINAL SOURCES: RBC, en.crimerussia.com, Financial Times, Daily Mail

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