Chyzh tries to slip away from sanctions

Three oil companies, which had not been affected by the EU sanctions, have suddenly disappeared from the list of assets at Triple holding’s corporate website.

What is the reason of the mysterious disappearance of the assets?

Tripleenergo, Neonafta and Belneftegaz are no longer found on the official list at the website. Exactly these companies, according to estimations of experts, are the key structures of the holding’s foreign economic activities at the markets of the CIS and the European Union, Zavtra tvoej strany writes.

Before the session of the Council of ministers of the European Union, where officials planned to vote in favour of expanding the sanctions against other businessmen close to the regime and their companies in the end of March, Yury Chyzh confidently stated that the sanctions could not be a threat to his business.

- This topic does not worth a pin for me. It is not a problem for me, - the businessman noted in an interview to BelGazeta.

When the European Union put Yury Czyzh and his 18 companies on the black list, and also imposed sanctions against a Russian businessman Anatoly Ternavsky, who is involved in construction business in Belarus, and a few companies of Uladzimir Peftsiyeu (Peftiev), including those which had been liquidated long ago, many independent experts have come to a conclusion that despite the threatening appearance and a serious list of 29 companies, it was a compromise list. Exactly those Belarusian enterprises which have the closest contacts with their partners in Europe, were not on the list. They include, among others, are the three enterprises from the oil subdivision of Triple holding, Tripleenergo, Bekneftegaz and Neonafta.

Before 2009 the first two companies took an active part in processing of Russian oil at Belarusian oil refineries and further export of oil products to the West. Belneftegaz was also one of the major suppliers of solvents and diluting agents to the EU market. At present, judging by reports of the media, the both companies are actively exploring the market of oil products in Ukraine. In particular, last year they supplied biodiesel there.

In the middle of 2011 with a reference to a Latvian information guide Lursoft Neonafta was called a co-owner of the plant Mamas D in Daugavpils. This enterprise produced ecological fuel from oil seed rape.

It is hard to say, what was the reason of disappearance of these assets from the list at Triple’s official website. According to some reports, the businessmen in disfavour have already encountered misunderstandings even inside Belarus with some banks founded with participation of investors from the EU member countries. It looks logical in this situation that they do not want to make a display of their possible contacts with Western structures. Further steps could include re-registration of these businesses to other owners and even selling them.