Why Roshen closes business in Russia. The responses from the business partner Poroshenko
Until April 1, 2017 Lipetsk confectionery factory Roshen in Russia plans to stop production, lay off about 700 workers, before June 1, to sell all products, to stop the operation of the logistics centre and even close the entire business in Russia.
The decision was taken by the top management of the Roshen Corporation, not a trust, management of which is the company. About it in interview “Interfax-Ukraine” said the President of the Corporation Roshen Vyacheslav Moskalevsky.
“I told them (trust) announced (the closure of the Lipetsk factory) and all. It was the decision of management,” Moskalevsky said.
He says that the reasons for the closure were economic and political.
“When I Putin on a press-conferences began to discuss the profitability of the factory , and so on, I realized that she’s his trump card in the political game, which can be operated continuously. And for that he intends to hold her hostage (systematically continue a lien on the property) so that we could not sell, ” Moskalevsky said.
During the period of factory work in Russia, dividends from its activities were taken in Ukraine.
Note that currently, the Arbitration court of the Lipetsk region considers four cases in respect of audits of JSC “Lipetsk confectionery factory “Roshen”, two in respect of LLC “Roshen”. The lawyers of Ukrainian corporations do not agree with arrest of property of JSC “Lipetsk confectionery factory “Roshen” worth 2 billion rubles. This decision was taken by the Main investigation Department of the RF IC on the basis of the decision of the Basmanny district court of Moscow.
The President of the Corporation Roshen said that “the launch of the Lipetsk factory (20 years ago) has always been the initiative of the management. Poroshenko was there only once in my life – February 4, 2014 (when the Ukraine was Euromaidan) – and then only because he personally promised me to go there. The production of our candy was never about a political career of Peter Alexeyevich.”
Moskalevsky said that earlier Roshen was also considering a factory in the Russian town but stopped at Lipetsk.
“I still think that the money that we gave to Ukraine in the form of taxes and dividends from Russia is better than zero. After 18 years I spent at this factory, Yes, it took me two years to burn what I created. But the main thing I realized: for the posts of Judas we will not be “, – said the President of Roshen.
Corporation Roshen – one of the largest producers of confectionery includes Kiev, Mariupol (now is under liquidation), Kremenchug and two Vinnitsa confectionery factories, dairy Vinnitsa factory “Roshen”, as well as Lipetsk factory “Roshen”, the Klaipeda confectionery factory (Lithuania) and factory BonbonettiChoco (Hungary).
In January 2016, an agreement was signed under which Petro Poroshenko has transferred its 85% stake in the Corporation in an independent blind trust (blind trust) of the company Rothschild Trust. The Bank managing the trust also has four-year-old attorney for negotiating the sale of assets. The President of the Corporation Roshen Vyacheslav Moskalevsky owns 13% of the investment Fund “Nondeterminist”, and another four managers – 0.5%.