Authorities Seized Documents and Funds from Sportbank as Part of the Investigation into Alleged State Abuse and Misconduct Connecting to Parimatch
Updating the Story:
A pre-trial investigation in Lviv, Ukraine, as reported by dev.ua, alleged four individuals had switched sides to back the occupiers in an armed conflict. The motive behind this was personal gain and support for occupation authorities in Crimea.
Documents obtained during the investigation showed the involvement of two suspects in the activities of a cryptocurrency bank named sportbank. During searches conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, approximately $28,500, equipment, and additional documents were seized. These documents included:
- Paperwork concerning the registration of legal entity "LLC 'Payberry'" and bank registration papers.
- Documents pertaining to sportbank's involvement in the activities of betting sites Parimatch, Buddy.bet, PariWin, specifically handling deposits and withdrawals for these platforms. This was facilitated through transfers to personal cards and funds exchanged between other betting sites' accounts in other banks.
- Mechanisms for withdrawing funds from Parimatch, Buddy.bet, PariWin accounts using card transfers, cryptocurrency exchanges Binance Pay; payment system SettlePay Wallet; and cryptocurrencies Tether TRC-20, Bitcoin, Ethereum.
- Details about electronic wallets and bank cards involved in illegal activities.
- Papers relating to virtual asset exchange Exbase.io and online payment service Settlepay. These entities also had ties with the Russian "LLC 'Payberry'" and were found to be involved with Parimatch, Buddy.bet, PariWin.
- Evidence of tax evasion through miscoding schemes.
The bank representatives presented a complaint claiming that the seized money was not evidence in the case, as the court did not authorize its confiscation. After expressing pressure from the SBI, sportbank issued a statement denying any involvement with the gambling business or any connections to the companies and individuals named in the search warrant. They also did not receive any suspicions and were not mentioned in the case materials as suspects. However, their accounts were frozen at the end of February.
Sportbank operates on the PJSC "Tascombank" platform.
Author: Alina Shvets
It's worth noting that a comprehensive understanding of sportbank's role requires further examination of its ties with the mentioned betting sites and any ongoing investigations in Crimea. Without specific details, it's challenging to draw definitive conclusions. The investigation may focus on financial irregularities, possible money laundering, and other illegal activities given the nature of the seized documents. More information about sportbank's activities and the investigation would allow for a more accurate analysis.
- The investigations uncovered documents showing sportbank's involvement in handling deposits and withdrawals for betting sites like Parimatch, Buddy.bet, PariWin, using mechanisms such as card transfers, Binance Pay, SettlePay Wallet, Tether TRC-20, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies.
- The seized documents also revealed details about electronic wallets and bank cards involved in illegal activities, as well as evidence of tax evasion through miscoding schemes.
- Despite the seizure of approximately $28,500 and incriminating documents, bank representatives disputed any liability in the case, claiming the money was not evidence and expressing pressure from the State Bureau of Investigation.
- sportbank declared that they were not involved with the gambling business or any connections to the companies and individuals named in the search warrant, and they had not received any suspicions or been mentioned in the case materials as suspects.
- The general-news and crime-and-justice sectors may further delve into sportbank's ties with the betting sites and ongoing investigations in Crimea, focusing on financial irregularities, possible money laundering, and other illegal activities given the nature of the seized documents.