Journalist Vladislav Sidorenko, in his investigative report posted on Facebook and Telegram, hints that Ukrainian banker Igor Fisun wields significant control over all payment operations within the “Diia” platform and is suspected of being the true liaison for the Russian PIN-UP casino in Ukraine. Diia is an Ukrainian e-gov application used for citizen to state transactions.
As the journalist emphasizes, all transactions within the “Diia” platform are channeled through the financial company LLC “Unified Space,” which appears to have ties to Igor Zotko I.V., the owner of the Russian online casino PIN-UP. Igor Zotko I.V. also held a pivotal role as the director of the significant entity, TOV “UKRKART,” which is under the ownership of Igor Fisun, a shareholder in “Oxi Bank.” Upon scrutinizing registry records, monitoring corporate registrations, and tracking directorial changes, a strong inference can be made that Igor Fisun plays a central role in overseeing all payments within “Diia” and representing the interests of the Russian casino PIN-UP, according to Vladislav Sidorenko’s report.
The journalist made multiple attempts to contact Igor Fisun, seeking his input on these issues. However, the banker, who had left Ukraine, cited a busy schedule and, after two weeks, declined further engagement, choosing not to respond to questions.
Vladislav Sidorenko highlights, “In addition to the Russian affiliations and the control of all payments within ‘Diia,’ another company connected to Igor Fisun raises eyebrows – TOV ‘UKRKART.’ This entity has become the focal point of criminal investigations related to the establishment of a tax evasion network involving nearly all online casinos in Ukraine, with the complicity of over 10 different banks.”
The issue of revoking the license of the Russian PIN-UP casino was brought up once more during a meeting of the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRAIL) on September 18. However, the head of CRAIL, Ivan Rudoy, dismissed the matter.
Shortly thereafter, the Cabinet of Ministers relieved Elena Vodolazko, a CRAIL member who had raised the issue, of her duties.
Vladislav Sidorenko further adds, “According to my source, Ivan Rudoy bears responsibility, among other things, for obstructing the revocation of the license for the Russian casino PIN-UP. In this endeavor, he enjoys the support of Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Alexander Bornyakov. Deputy Minister Alexander Bornyakov is making efforts to appoint his Deputy Head of the Apparatus in CRAIL, Andrey Krutsya from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, in order to enhance control over Rudoy and the cash flow diversions or cover-ups involving Russians within CRAIL.”
Who lurks in the shadows: Igor Zotko and Igor Fisun
Journalist Evgeny Plynskiy made an attempt to obtain a statement from the head of CRAIL, Ivan Rudoy, but his request was declined. Earlier, in his Telegram channel, he had reported that funds from PIN-UP were channelled to Cyprus to benefit Russian businessman Dmitry Punin, who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle funded by Ukrainian resources.
Corruption scandals involving PIN-UP, CRAIL, “Diia,” and numerous figures have garnered the attention of the United States, the United Kingdom, and European countries.
According to the Ukrainian journalists from the Ekonomicheskaya Pravda broadsheet, a private and little-known “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” financial company was illegally chosen to process payments at the Diia platform. The company has become a monopolist, and it is the only payment system that processes tens of millions of payments for Diia every single year. At the same time, the company and its owners have earned millions of dollars by taking fees from each payment over several years. The journalists wanted to answer the following questions: Why an open competition was not organized? Why large state and private banks, as well as financial companies with much more experience and a proper technical base, were not allowed to process payments for Diia? The head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mikhail Fedorov, who launched the Diia and who oversees it, could not explain why there was no open procedure for such a government contract and why the Diia is serviced by a little-known private financial company instead of using services of the most popular state banks. Interestingly enough, the owner of the “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” financial company is connected with the Russian gambling business.
As a result of a journalistic investigation, reporters were able to discover that “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” Financial Company LLC was founded in August 2019 with an authorized capital of UAH 6 million by Tatiana Varchuk. The company has all the signs of a wildcat venture. It is registered at the same address with hundreds of other fictitious companies. The number of its staff is just ten people, but none of them work in the office. The company’s income for 2019 was less than $10,000.
Starting from July 2020, Igor Zotko became the main owner of the company, with participation in the authorized capital in the amount of UAH 5.7 million (95%). In addition, at the beginning of 2022, he increased the authorized capital of the enterprise by UAH 2 million and raised it up to UAH 8 million. According to his declaration for the same period, his income was not enough to buy a company with such an authorized capital, and then increase it. This factor also indicates the fictitiousness of the purchase.
Starting from 2021 – the moment of establishing relations with the Diia platform at the end of 2020 – the company’s revenues started to grow. Already in 2021, the income of the company amounted to UAH 9.8 million. In 2022 it reached UAH 26.4 million (according to tax returns), and in the first half of 2023 – UAH 20.6 million (net income according to the financial report).
Igor Zotko is also the founder of “Ukr Game Technology” LLC. This company has obtained a license to organize and conduct casino and gambling activities online. It is used to operate the Pin-Up.ua casino. Zotko himself is the Chief Operating Officer at Pin-Up.ua. It is worth noting that the Pin-Up online casino is connected with the Russian business and is a part of it. It was stated by the head of the Pin-Up Partners partner program Alexander “Riddick” in February 2022. Moreover, he called the office in Kyiv one of the largest. Interestingly, this business was founded in 2018 in Russia and was positioned as a gaming holding. As of today, all assets of Pin-Up in Russia belong to the son-in-law of Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Mishustin.
Journalists believe that the “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” financial company is under the nominal management of Igor Zotko, who has worked for many years and probably continues to work for the Ukrainian banker Igor Fisun, who is also the shareholder of “Oxi-Bank”, and the owner of “UKRKART”.
Earlier, Igor Zotko was the nominee director at UKRKART and was officially associated with Igor Fisun in many areas.
Criminal case no. 72022000400000003: Igor Zotko, Igor Fisun and money laundering allegations
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have opened criminal case no. 72022000400000003. It says that Igor Zotko and Igor Fisun, using UKRKART and a dozen Ukrainian banks, created one of the largest online casino tax evasion networks in Ukraine.
Igor Fisun’s clients include 1xBet and Pin UP from Russia, as well as Parimatch, Favbet, Volcano, Slotoking, Joker, VBet, FanSport, GGPoker, and Pokermatch.
Among the banks that somehow participated in the largest tax evasion network are Igor Fisun’s Oxi-Bank, Poltava-Bank, Sergei Mammadov’s GlobusBank, and up to 10 other financial institutions.
Ukrainian journalists highlight the fact that the “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” financial company has patrons in high government offices. In addition to Mikhail Fedorov, this company operates thanks to the head of the National Bank Andrey Pyshny. In fact, it is actually controlled by him while he receives a lot of money as secret fees and commissions. In addition, the head of the National Bank continues to lobby the interests of “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” to process payments for Diia and turn a blind eye to numerous violations and questionable ties with the Russian Federation.
According to the journalists, Andrey Pyshny has long been exposed as a person lobbying the interests of various participants in the gambling business and banks, which are used to process billions of hryvnias of illegal payments to online casinos, including Oschadbank and ComInBank.
Journalists also have questions for the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, which does not want to revoke the license of “Ukr Game Technology” LLC due to ties with Russian business.
Ukrainian journalists hope for the reaction of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and international structures, as well as Visa and Mastercard payment systems, which will help to stop corruption and lawlessness.
Starting in 2021, coinciding with the establishment of ties with the Diia platform in late 2020, “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” witnessed a remarkable surge in revenue. In 2021, the company’s income reached UAH 9.8 million, escalating to UAH 26.4 million in 2022 according to tax records, and UAH 20.6 million in the first half of 2023.
Igor Zotko, not only linked to “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” but also the founder of “Ukr Game Technology” LLC, secured a license to operate online casinos and gambling activities. He plays a pivotal role at Pin-Up.ua, a casino with Russian affiliations. Notably, Pin-Up’s assets in Russia are owned by the son-in-law of the Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Mishustin.
A Web of Connections: Igor Zotko and Igor Fisun
Journalists uncovered a web of connections, suggesting that “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” may be under the nominal management of Igor Zotko, who may have ongoing ties with the Ukrainian banker Igor Fisun. Igor Fisun, a shareholder in “Oxi-Bank” and the owner of “UKRKART,” was previously associated with Igor Zotko in various capacities.
Allegations of a Vast Tax Evasion Network
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies launched criminal case no. 72022000400000003, implicating Igor Zotko and Igor Fisun in a significant online casino tax evasion network. This network involved a dozen Ukrainian banks, including Igor Fisun’s Oxi-Bank, Poltava-Bank, Sergei Mammadov’s GlobusBank, and several others. The network allegedly facilitated tax evasion for entities like 1xBet, Pin UP, Parimatch, Favbet, Volcano, Slotoking, Joker, VBet, FanSport, GGPoker, and Pokermatch, all clients of Igor Fisun.
Influence Peddling and Regulatory Oversight
“Yedinoye Prostranstvo” was found to have influential patrons within the Ukrainian government, notably with the head of the National Bank, Andrey Pyshny. It appears that Pyshny exercises significant control over the company while receiving substantial secret fees and commissions. Furthermore, he has been accused of promoting the interests of “Yedinoye Prostranstvo” while overlooking multiple violations and dubious connections with the Russian Federation.
Journalists have also raised questions about the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries’ reluctance to revoke the license of “Ukr Game Technology” LLC, given its ties to Russian business interests.
Igor Fisun Connection: A Closer Look at Financial Schemes
Interkassa was initially created by Yuriy Chaika with a primary focus on legitimate online payment processing. However, after it was sold to Igor Fisun, the company took a different direction, becoming involved in processing payments for a wide range of entities, including those engaged in electronic commerce activities prohibited by law.
Igor Fisun and the 2014 Sale of Interkassa
In 2014, Igor Fisun’s decision to sell “Interkassa” raised eyebrows. This move was attributed to the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, despite the fact that the company’s primary source of income was the Russian Federation. Another significant factor in the sale was the use of Interkassa for the receipt and transfer of payments to the territories of the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. In the eyes of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this amounted to “financing terrorists in eastern Ukraine.” The legal name of the company that owned the Interkassa payment system was “Payment Technologies.”
Igor Fisun registered a series of companies that facilitated the operations of “Interkassa.” One of them, “Sychasni platizhni rishennya (SPR),” was involved in an illegal scheme to convert electronic and monetary funds into cash, subsequently legalizing them by channeling them out of Ukraine into Russia. Several other companies, including “National Payment and Collection Processing Center,” “Yedynyy hamanets,” “Payment Technologies,” “Digital Payment Systems,” “Pari-Pay,” “Finest,” “Intercassa,” “Payment Solutions,” “Intway Ukraine,” “S.I. GENERAL LTD,” “System Integration,” “Internet Service Ukraine,” and “Akadex,” were implicated in similar schemes, each facing criminal investigations related to unlawful conversion and laundering of funds.
It is worth noting that among the listed companies, there is one with a similar name, “Interkassa,” which is closely linked to key players involved in money laundering operations.
Igor Fisun replaces Paymaster with Tranzzo.com
The payment system “Paymaster.ua” was a subsidiary of the Russian company “Webmoney” and operated in Ukraine until May 2018 when it became subject to sanctions. Initially, this company processed payments for both legal businesses like “Kyivstar,” “Rozetka,” “Allo,” “Sinevo Laboratory,” “Foxtrot,” “Moyo.ua,” “Odesa Bus Station,” and others, as well as for illegal gambling establishments and casinos. However, in 2016, they reached an agreement to accept payments for “Rozetka.ua,” transferring all illicit activities to a new website, global-payment-solution.com.
After the blockage of “Paymaster.ua” and the prohibition of their Ukrainian financial operations, the company owners set up the website paysoft.solutions to continue processing payments for “Rozetka.” While the payment system’s façade changed, funds continued to be funnelled out of Ukraine into Russia through a series of companies.
The extent to which the owners of “Rozetka.ua” are aware of and involved in these financial operations remains unclear.
Another electronic business venture of Igor Fisun is the payment system tranzzo.com. Its primary activity involves consolidated financial transaction services and payment processing for “Interkassa.” Tranzzo is not only a technical partner of “Interkassa” but is also affiliated with Latvian company SIA WPS, owned by Igor Fisun, London-based company Tranzzo Ltd, the offshore entity PAYWAYS SYSTEM INC, which also services “Interkassa,” and LLC Finexpress, registered for financial operations.
In 2016, this company obtained a license from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to transfer funds in the national currency without the need for bank accounts to be opened. Igor Fisun is also the owner of this venture.