SK will check Navalny's bitcoin wallets, which annually receive millions of rubles. How and on what funds are spent – in the material below.
Bitcoin wallets of Navalny, thanks to which millions of rubles are transferred to the "fighter against corruption", finally, interested in law enforcement. The Investigative Committee of Russia asks to check the founders of the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) Alexei Navalny and Leonid Volkov for possible fraudulent activities.
It is reported by RT.
The applicants consider, that Volkov and Navalny embezzle part of the donations and withhold information about transactions with wallets.
The editor-in-chief of the Federal Investigation Agency believes, what they could assign order 41 million 300 thousand. rubles during the election campaign 2018 of the year.
It should be noted, that bitcoin gained popularity precisely because, what ensures the anonymity of transactions. It is not yet banned in Russia.
but 26 February, the Supreme Court of Russia called cryptocurrencies one of the means of legalizing criminal proceeds.
so, election campaign "Navalny 20!8» started 13 December 2016 of the year. Then the candidate began to collect donations and published a link to a cryptocurrency account - 3QzYvaRFY6bakFBW4YBRrzmwzTnfZcaA6E.
“Before registering an electoral account, we collect funds for the Internet wallets of the head of the electoral headquarters Leonid Volkov, — specified on the website "Navalny 20!8». “Public reporting will be provided on the receipt and expenditure of funds”.
However, there was no report to the voters. Navalny's financial report 2018 year does not contain media information, received on bitcoin wallet. But then through his account passed 106 million rubles (1,6 millions of dollars).
To be fair, you can see, that in the FBK report he could not indicate this, after all, formally, FBK has nothing to do with the presidential campaign. However, in the reports on the "election campaign" on the website "Navalny 20!8» was indicated, that funds have been received 91,2 million rubles. However, there is no reporting on transactions with cryptocurrency..
Nevertheless, the movement of funds on blockchain platforms are in the public domain. Can not see, who did the translation, but you can see, when and how much.
so, first wallet. Main.
Money began to flow to him 8 December 2016 of the year. It all started with a sum of 500 rubles. FROM 13 December 2016 year was committed 62 transfers with small amounts.
But a large amount "fell" into Navalny's account the next day - 14 December. Then the oppositionist was transferred 9,7 VTS (450 thousand rubles at that rate).
FROM 15 December began to receive impressive "donations": 1 BTC, across 3,5 hours - more 5 VTS, five more hours later 9,7 VTS.
1 February 2017 year, the "father of Russian democracy" extended a "helping hand" equal to 598 thousand (10 VTS). Then 9 february - more 6 BTC, 16 February - 5 BTC, 20 February - 8 BTC.
It is interesting at the same time, that often large tranches are distributed within a few hours among dozens of other anonymous wallets and go through a long chain of "transit" wallets.
In a commentary for RT, Arseniy Poyarkov, a member of the State Duma’s expert council on the digital economy and blockchain technologies, said, that there are so-called bitcoin mixers - services, which mix hundreds or dozens of transactions from different wallets in a single pool.
"This is done for, to hide from the public (or law enforcement) the way forward for money. The owner of the “mixer” takes his commission and, after mixing, directs the money to a hidden, non-public wallet of the customer. Such services are often used by criminals", - explained Poyarkov.
In total, during the existence of the N1 wallet, 618 BTC (more 350 million rubles at the current exchange rate)
Here it should be remembered, that the analysis of Navalny's income and spending was already done by his former associates. Then it turned out, that the oppositionist withdraws large sums abroad, relaxing with family. There he is remembered as a rich Russian, sparing no expense on vacation and living in the most expensive villas.
Navalny also has a second wallet. The link to the first disappeared in October-November 2017 of the year, and instead of it another one appeared - 3MQTRzttkMtsMEy9dRq4Sf1xiSsWKgQkyH.
For a year and a half, a total of 40 million rubles. And the last major transaction was made 10 May 2018 of the year, the day before Navalny's release after yet another administrative arrest. Transferred to this account 10 VTS, but in the evening they were withdrawn from the account.
However, the first wallet at that time did not stand idle for nothing - funds were also received there.
So all the time, while Navalny was running his election campaign, order was withdrawn from both wallets 85 million rubles.
However, oppositionists reported 91,2 received millions. And the RT journalist, investigating, counted, what was transferred to bitcoin wallets 106 millions. And such discrepancies testify to the lack of accountability of the Navalny campaign..
According to Sergei Sokolov, RT journalist, analyzed 1714 incoming transactions on Volkov's account, 94% bitcoin transfers in support of Navalny's election campaign are tranches from Western funds and only 6% - donations from ordinary citizens.
"And it turned out, what 94% - large transfers from $5 thousand. to $150 thousand., which are similar to donations from foreign foundations, but only 6% amounted to the so-called student donations of $ 10-15 ", - says RT Sokolov.
According to the law, foreign funding is a reason for recognizing an organization as a foreign agent. But due to the anonymity of the translations, it is very difficult to say to prove something..
However, receipts often come from the same senders.. for example, one of these addresses is 1MRgibteHt2hCXfCUrUwxTuwcJtVCWqLgc (let's call him x).
Wallet X since August 2017 to December 2017 made 14 outgoing transactions, and more than half - on Navalny's wallets (9 transactions on 32,87 VTS). probably, this account was created to finance the activities of Alexei Navalny.
At the same time, money came to wallet X itself from another wallet Y 1N52wHoVR79PMDishab2XmRHsbekCdGquK. He did everything 6 transactions, as a result of which I replenished wallet X with 29,4 BTC. At the same time, the international portal Bitcoin Who’s Who wallet Y is listed as a fraudulent.
for example, one of the users is hlissnake, complained, that search for stolen from him 10 bitcoin eventually led him to wallet Y.
Usually, the time interval between receiving money in wallet X and sending it to Navalny's wallet, was very short. And the sums of the transfers matched. That is, the Russian oppositionists were the “end consumer” of the fraudulently received money..
At the same time, it can be assumed, that wallet X acts as a guarantor service on illegal trading floors: funds are received as a deposit, and after the work is done, they are transferred to the order executor.
“Guarantor services are common on marketplaces of illegal goods and services (mostly on the dark web, but not always). And it doesn't have to be bitcoin., it can be other cryptocurrencies and regular money. Since the parties do not trust each other, have to resort to the services of guarantors, not to be deceived. This is one of the ways of self-regulation of the shadow cyber community.. Usually the guarantor is a respected and trusted person in the community (forum administrator or moderator, eg)», - Ruslan Yusufov, managing partner of Mindsmith cryptocurrency consulting company, told RT.
certainly, all this does not allow to bring charges against Navalny, but, undoubtedly, demonstrates the fact, that his cryptocurrency transactions are shady.
Recall, earlier we published an investigation of the Telegram channel “Confession of an FBK employee”, which can be found here. From this investigation it follows, that Alexei Navalny received large sums the day before or the day after the release of his investigations.
Leonid Volkov commented on this investigation, calling it an attempt to link unrelated phenomena: “Payments come regularly, but if select some payments and some publications, then you can pull a non-existent connection by the ears ".
AT 2017-2018 years as a result of an audit of the media support fund "The Fifth Season" by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, it became known, that bitcoins were legalized to finance Navalny's election campaign.
The Foundation was founded by Leonid Volkov 28 April 2014 of the year. AT 2017 year, almost all financial transactions of the election campaign went through the accounts of the "Fifth Season". According to Volkov, The Ministry of Justice refused to register a legal entity for the needs of the election campaign, and therefore the “fighters against the regime” had to establish a fund. AT 2017 year "The Fifth Season" filed zero reporting, and now in 2018 through his accounts for 2017 a year has passed 164 million rubles.
However, the fund still committed a number of violations.. So, eg, during the inspection, signs of hazing were found, including funding for the election campaign of Alexei Navalny. Fundraising in bitcoins implied the anonymity of donors. But in Russia, anonymous donors are prohibited from depositing money into the accounts of registered presidential candidates..
The fund was liquidated by a court decision. Despite assurances from the defense, that the fund did not accept cryptocurrency, check showed, that he still did it with the help of intermediaries.
for example, Leonid Volkov himself contributed to the accounts of the "Fifth Season" 32,8 million rubles, FBK employee Anna Chekhovich forked out for the fund 17,3 million rubles, and Navalny's campaign spokesman, Ruslan Shaveddinov, made a sweeping gesture at 15,5 million.
Former FBK employee and deputy head of the Moscow headquarters Vitaly Serukanov told RT, that in this way the funds of bitcoin wallets were legalized. “Through the Fifth Season, funds were legalized, cashed out from bitcoin wallets, as well as large amounts of cash, who donated to Navalny's headquarters.
I personally saw money during my work in Navalny's structures, that were wrapped with duct tape, which were stored in conditional "shoe boxes". it, know, good old russian reality, with which Navalny is fighting so hard, but who feeds on her. That is, when they bring you money, rewound with tape, but you physically can't understand, where did this money come from, because, conditionally, brought by Roman Rubanov, Leonid Volkov or, eg, FBK lawyer Lyubov Sobol... if you ask, who brought a million, – you will be fired,” notes Serukanov.
Similarly, Serukanov himself worked at FBK for cash..
However, even the fact, that Navalny, who could not become a presidential candidate due to his criminal record, began to collect money for the election campaign - this is fraud and misrepresentation. And some donors sued Leonid Volkov, to get your money back. but, according to a member of the Public Chamber Ilya Remeslo, who represented the interests of one of the donors, resident of Karelia Mikhail Kostenko, despite the win, Navalny's supporters did not return the money. Besides, according to Kostenko, after filing a claim, they tried to find out the place of residence and find relatives of the plaintiff.
It should also be noted, that fundraising for N2 wallet continues. And the money comes in regularly.. FROM 18 Martha 2018 by 28 May 2019 there came 327 VTS (186 million rubles).
Oppositionists themselves explain this by, that funds are directed to the maintenance of regional headquarters. Previously, regional branches were managed by the Fund for Legal Support of Citizens, the founder of which was the same Leonid Volkov, but 11 March, the fund was liquidated due to financial irregularities.
And in the reporting there was no data on funds from bitcoin wallets.
At the same time, attention should be paid to, that Navalny's supporters in the regions are complaining about, that were abandoned without support, although donations are collected specifically to help headquarters.
Navalny helps his activists pay fines, coming for participation and organization of unauthorized actions. Activists themselves are thrown off to pay fines.
About, what money, likely, are spent for personal purposes during the oppositionist's trips abroad, many have already said. Including the author of the TG-channel "Confession of an FBK employee". We wrote about it here.
Towards the end, it would not hurt to remember, that Alexei Navalny himself calls himself unemployed, but claims, who gets paid for legal advice. However, Alexei never acted as a lawyer in his life..
Kseniya Maltseva
