Austrian Lawyer Emerges as Key Intermediary in Lukoil’s Ukrainian Operations: New Revelations.
Probing Business Ties
According to Espreso.tv: An investigation by Slidstvo.Info and the Anti-Corruption Action Center has uncovered connections between Austrian attorney Johannes Klezl-Norberg, Russian businessman Alexander Matitsyn, and Amic Ukraine, a company suspected of links to Lukoil. Klezl-Norberg holds a 25.1% stake in Amic Ukraine and has managed the firm for over a decade. Meanwhile, Matitsyn serves as Lukoil’s first vice president of finance and has led Lukoil International GmbH for more than 26 years. These findings shed light on the complex web of interests surrounding Russian energy assets in Ukraine.
Klezl-Norberg registered A.Reales Holdings GmbH in July 2008 and directed it until June 2018. In 2015, Amic Energy acquired roughly 240 Lukoil gas stations and oil depots in Ukraine. By August 2022, authorities had seized the fuel station network, warehouses, land plots, and corporate rights. Between 2016 and 2021, these enterprises paid dividends to non-resident companies ultimately beneficially owned by the Russian Federation, laundering over 1 billion hryvnias in the process.
Responses and Implications
Klezl-Norberg exited Matitsyn’s business in 2018. In a statement, he claimed:
“My involvement with A. Reales Holding GmbH was limited to providing standard legal services.”He also noted that
“None of those journalists ever contacted me,”while confirming: “I was indeed the managing director of a company owned by Mr. Matitsyn.” He concluded: “I would have done this even without such a request.”
Records show 28 legal entities and one individual registered at Klezl-Norberg’s address. These findings highlight potential risks and intricate connections among key energy sector players, raising concerns about transparency and legal compliance in Ukraine’s business environment. Given the ongoing war and sanctions targeting Russian firms, this investigation could spur deeper reforms in corporate governance and anti-corruption efforts.
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