NEW: Leaked bank records from the Isle of Man, a known tax haven, detail how Russian billionaire Oleg Tinkov was able to save millions in taxes on his fleet of private jets through a scheme designed for the super-rich. #CaymanLeaks ✈️ 1/ occrp.org/en/investigati…
You can find several photos of Tinkov’s jets on his Instagram page, except for this one which was deleted.
It shows the billionaire and his family using the business jet for a birthday celebration shortly before he was arrested on US tax fraud charges. 2/
The scheme shows how the ultra-wealthy can avoid taxes by registering their jets in the British crown dependency.
12 other bank clients used similar structures. Hundreds of exemptions have been issued by IOM since 2011, saving the owners ~£1B. 3/
Tinkov used a circular financial agreement between two companies he ultimately owned. One company would import the planes, then lease them to the other, both qualifying for tax-saving exemptions. 4/
But why choose the Isle of Man? The tax haven is known for its pro-business regulations. Plus the 1000 jets registered there can travel throughout the EU without being subject to custom checks. 5/
Regulators in the Isle of Man also have a cozy relationship with the financial sector.
For example, the head of the island’s customs agency previously held a senior position at KPMG Islands Groups, a network of branches covering infamous tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions. 6/
Dodging VAT on luxury items, like aircrafts, in offshore jurisdictions is a reality that @pierremoscovici, a former European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, says is "simply not fair.” 7/
This investigation is based on documents from Cayman National Bank in the Isle of Man, which were obtained by the transparency collective, @DDoSecrets 8/
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NEW: A grandson of Tajikistan’s president purchased a luxury Dubai property when he was just 9 years old, leaked real estate records show.
But where did the money come from?
Now 18-years-old, Erajjon Gulov’s three-bedroom apartment is valued at $1.3 million. 🧵
Under UAE law, children between the ages of 7 and 18 can buy property with the approval of a legal guardian.
Back in 2015, Gulov’s mother and presidential daughter Parvina Rahmonova had no known source of income.
His father earned a presumably modest salary as a civil servant.
In his 30+ years as head of state, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has promoted family members to key positions in government — including his son Ashraf Gulov.
After his posting at the Tajik embassy in Moscow, Gulov served as Tajikistan’s ambassador to Turkey from 2021-2024.
The decision follows findings from the country's intelligence service that Russia influenced the vote through a coordinated social media campaign. occrp.org/en/news/romani…
Georgescu, known for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "great patriot" and labeling Ukraine "an invented state," was rapidly rebranded as a pro-Western candidate through TikTok and Telegram posts.
NEW: An international money-laundering ring run from Moscow & Dubai has been moving billions in crypto and cash for criminal operations, @NCA_UK says.
84 people have been arrested as part of “Operation Destabilise,” involving police from the U.K., Ireland, the U.S. & France.
Several alleged key figures in the ring had “multiple links to the Russian financial sector,” the NCA said.
Some were sanctioned by the U.S. today, including Georgy Rossi, founder of the TGR group of companies, one of two “criminal enterprises” allegedly running the network.
The other, Smart, was led by Russian national Ekaterina Zhdanova, who the U.S. sanctioned in 2023.
NEW: Two Canadian banks continue doing business with alleged Toronto-based mafia boss Angelo Figliomeni despite high-profile 2019 organized crime and money laundering charges.
OCCRP and @TorontoStar learned that the banks hold four of Figliomeni's mortgages.
Figliomeni moved to Canada in the early 2000s after he was convicted on weapons charges as well as mafia membership in his native Italy.
In 2015, Canadian media reports described him as a suspected "Toronto-area mafia leader."
TD Bank and RBC maintained two mortgages apiece with Figliomeni despite these reports.
Even after Figliomeni’s 2019 arrest in what Toronto-area police called its biggest-ever mafia bust and the subsequent collapsed court case, both banks continued to maintain the loans.
NEW: A court in Kyrgyzstan today sentenced two journalists to 5+ years in prison in a case that has sparked international condemnation from rights groups. occrp.org/en/news/kyrgyz…
They are among 11 journalists from @TemirovLive, OCCRP’s local partner, who were detained in January for allegedly inciting and organizing mass riots.