Incognito millionaire: who is Vitoldas Tomaševskis, one of the richest people in Lithuania | Deal

This 15 minutes The investigation began with an exclusive private plane, which took off approximately once a month and often landed in Vilnius. It spread the generalized network of companies and offshore companies. It is serviced by the Lithuanian firm Lewben Group, which works with extremely wealthy clients and provides property and wealth management services to entrepreneurs.

The group company had been in the limelight of the Department of Homeland Security (SSD), and the court ruled that a shareholder of the Lewben-related company had ties that threatened national security.

Much 15 minutes They discovered offshore companies related to entrepreneurs and politicians operating in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, they are mentioned in transactions with Eastern oligarchs, who were also at the highest levels of government. In search of the beneficial owner links, the arrows point to a mysterious Lithuanian businessman.

Lithuanian partners Vitold Tomasevskij avoid talking about him, but admit that he is a very rich person. Perhaps even one of the richest in Lithuania.

It seems that V. Tomaszewski was able to accumulate wealth by trading Belarusian oil products and developing business with Yuri Chizh, a former businessman in the immediate vicinity of Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenko and on the European Union sanctions list. Companies related to V. Tomaszewski left their mark on Belarus, Russia and Ukraine in the extraction of raw materials, amber, real estate projects and even loans to the Russian magnate in impressive amounts.

Lewben 15 minutes stated that they could not disclose whether V.Tomaševskis was their client. And law firms representing V.Tomaševskis himself in Lithuania and Switzerland 15 minutes sent letters threatening the penal codes of Lithuania and Switzerland due to a journalistic investigation.

Exclusive laircraft placement almost not flying

Built in 2014, the Boeing 737 BBJ, numbered EI-TVG, is a business-class private jet with additional fuel tanks: it can fly longer distances than a conventional jet.

To this plane 15 minutes noticed by an airplane surveillance enthusiast. It seemed suspicious to him that a very expensive private plane visiting Vilnius flies only occasionally. For example, in 2019, it was in the air for about 25 hours in four months, shows flightradar24.com data. Generally, an airplane is profitable when it is almost constant in the air.

The plane has been continuously flying from Alicante to Vilnius and back for the past few years, and has also been in Moscow, Kaliningrad, Milan, Munich and the Seychelles. The plane’s most common location appears to be in Lyon, France, where it is idle.

The plane was initially registered in Lithuania under the number LY-TVG, but was later re-registered in Ireland. Here, it became the first registered business-class Boeing aircraft, announced the German Skyliner Aviation, and estimated that in 2015, said aircraft cost around 73.5 million. euros

The interior and exterior of this aircraft are exceptional. AERIA Luxury Interiors, an aircraft maintenance company based in San Antonio, USA. The US has announced this exceptional job: After taking a “green” (unfinished) plane directly from Boeing, he installed, painted, and delivered it to a private customer in December 2015. At the end after more than a year of work. The plane in the photo is identical to the one flying to Vilnius, only it didn’t have a number yet.

“The interior of the aircraft includes a separate crew room, kitchen, conference room, great room, and master suite. The 3D printed details are used inside as decorations with elegant finishes as well as precious stones. Multiple high-definition monitors complement the modern digital entertainment system. The luxury cabin is equipped with a zoned irrigation and drying system. The custom exterior paint scheme was included in the design package developed by the Aeria design team, ”said the press release.

Aviation expert Simonas Bartkus compares that earlier this year, similar aircraft used for commercial passenger transport in 2014 cost 24 to 31 million. AMERICAN DOLLAR. However, estimating how much a business-class model with additional equipment would cost is difficult.

The property is managed by the offshore, the offshore is managed by Lewben, but Vitold also appears in the documents.

Exclusive plane belongs to an irish company Hansel Jet Ireland Limited, controlled by an offshore company incorporated in the Virgin Islands. Justin Klimašauskas, who works in the Lewben office, is appointed head of Hansel Jet.

The aircraft operator is the Lithuanian charter company Charter Jets. Some of its actions are also indirectly controlled by executives from Lewben Vilius Kavaliauskas and Rita Kavaliauskienė through a company registered in Cyprus.

However, after examining the companies’ reports, it is possible to discover a mysterious service buyer: Redcast Group, a company registered in the Virgin Islands. She handles transactions for both with one, both of them with the second company and specified between the parties involved.

There is no chance of finding company shareholders in the Virgin Islands. However, Redcast Group has long been the largest shareholder of Cyprus-based Redcast Holdings Limited. It was this company that involved a mysterious person: Vitoldas Tomaševskis of Lithuanian nationality. A Lithuanian businessman who had financial affairs with this company and V. Tomaševskis 15 minutes testified that the ultimate owner of Redcast Holdings Limited is V. Tomaševskis.

However, there are also official traces: V.Tomaševskis himself of Redcast Holdings Limited documents as a creditor, having loaned more than 8 million euros to the company and is appointed as a person related to the company.

Also among the shareholders of Redcast Holdings Limited has been officially featured for a long time common name Loreta Zakarkienė, also introduced as Tomaševskaya. Along with V.Tomaševskis, it was also mentioned in Lithuanian court cases: in 2002, they both owned property in Juodkrante and along with several other people. Lithuanian prosecutors sued on the possibility of building a vacation home in the former pioneer camp in the Curonian Spit National Park. This time, the construction documents were declared illegal and revoked.

15 minutes In the large and confusing corporate structure found in 2006, you can find registered companies in the UK and Cyprus with various combinations of Hansel or Redcast. They include Lewben representatives between executives or managers, but among the shareholders and final beneficiaries V.Tomaševskis’ surname also appears. In old documents, his address was indicated in Vilnius Justiniškės, now his nationality is registered in the registers: Lithuanian, and his place of residence is Switzerland. By the way, he is not related to a well-known Lithuanian politician.

You can hardly find information and even photos of this person on the Internet, his name is not mentioned in any of the richest lists.

However, the main proof that V. Tomaševskis flew from Alicante to Vilnius in a private luxury plane is the photos. The last time the plane landed in Vilnius was in March of this year, so 15 minutes He captured a middle-aged man in an orange jacket escorting security guards from an airport VIP terminal. This is V.Tomaševskis.

Own a luxury apartmenta Vilnius in the middle

EC Turtas, a company registered in Vilnius, owns a luxury apartment in Vilnius Old Town, on Gaono Street. To our knowledge, V.Tomaševskis will go to this house, having arrived from Vilnius in a private plane from Alicante.

Member of the Board of the company that manages the apartment. has been for a long time Yulia Alipova, Russian citizen. In 2014, she won the Miss Russia title.

EC Turtas is again managed by Lewben representatives and its shareholders are a long chain of foreign companies whose ultimate owners cannot be identified.

However, EC Turtas also owns the shares of the Lithuanian amber company Beata.

Beata’s second shareholder, businessman Algis Bitautas, 15 minutes confirmed that V. Tomaševskis is its business partner and the final beneficiary of the company EC Turtas.

“I know that the final beneficiary is Tomaševskis in that company,” said Bitautas.

As far as we know, J.Alipova was also able to visit Lithuania, she used her image to advertise the amber products of the company “Beata”.

Previously, a luxury apartment on Vilnius Gaono Street was owned by Snoras Bankas. Its bankruptcy administrator sold nearly 200 square feet of apartments at auction in 2014. According to unofficial data, the family of Snoras shareholder Raimondas Baranauskas lived in the apartment, Verslo žinios wrote. In its financial statements, EC Turtas states that in 2014 the company acquired assets for 1.3 million. euros

Money CE lent to Turtu the then shareholder of the company, our previously mentioned Cypriot company Redcast Holdings Limited.

“Invest in the world in many subjects”

V. Tomaševskis’ public photo was finally confirmed by a public photo published by the Amber Merchants Association “Le’amber Consortium”. It was recorded that the same person was sitting at the event as when he got off the plane, next to him, a card with his name and last name, Vitold Tomasevskij. Joining V.Tomaševskis are his amber business partner A.Bitautas and Lewben boss Vilius Kavaliauskas.

Along with V.Tomaševskis, A.Bitautas, who manages Beata’s actions in the amber business. 15 minutes He said he was not aware of all the activities of his business partner.

“As I understand it, this is an investor, investing in the world on many issues, which is interesting. And how directly, it is difficult for me to say. Undoubtedly, the man is rich, rich, any of his other activities, it is difficult for me to say. In fact, I met him when he bought the shares, I can’t comment further on the activities, I really can’t. This is a fun person, I can tell you to communicate interesting, enlightened. There is little communication with him and it is inconvenient to ask him about his activities, ”said A. Bitautas.

Lewben-related company was in the limelight of the SSD

According to the data in the registries, the asset management services for the investor V.Tomaševskis are provided by the Lewben law firm operating in Lithuania. Wealthy people use the services of the company to keep them confidential: they manage their assets through an intricate and sophisticated network of offshore companies spread across the world.

In the fall of 2017 Blocked by the Department of Homeland Security (SSD) the Lewben Investment Management transaction of the Lewben Group company in relation to risky relationships.

Having examined this case the court ruledthat Rita Kavaliauskienė, one of Lewben’s executives and the sole shareholder of Lewben Investment Management, has relationships with persons related to institutions of foreign states that are not members of the European Union and NATO or with the interests of those states.

“During the court proceedings, sufficient data was revealed about the applicant’s shareholder relations with people who pose a threat to the state’s national security,” the court ruling read.

Court documents show that R. Kavaliauskienė stated that he knows two Belarusian citizens J.Č. and A.O., which they have seen at a private party outside of Lithuania.

These initials match well-known Belarusian entrepreneurs in the vicinity of Lukashenko: Yuri Chizu and his business partner Alexei Oleksin are mentioned in this study, but 15 minutes You do not have access to or verify an impersonal court order.

R.Kavaliauskiene 15 minutes In the comment sent, he stated that they had no ties to J. Čižas and A. Oleksinas. However, he said he could not say whether he had witnessed the following people at the hearing: “The case he mentioned was heard on camera and in private. Therefore, like all other witnesses, I have a legal duty not to disclose any facts of the case. “

The former Lewben Group company has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the fact that the person meets two Belarusian citizens is not enough to name the person a threat to national security.

Vilius Kavaliauskas, the chief of Lewben, previously commented in an interview with Verslo žinios that the rumors include people at the top of the Belarusian government: “Yes, we have a client in Belarus. No, this is not Alexander Lukashenko (laughs – ed. Past). I know where those speeches come from and why they come, but it’s just a rumor. “

Exclusive vmethe In Spainr In Switzerlandme, Bugatti in Minsk

Let’s go back to the story of Vitold Tomaszewski. Among the individual recordings on the Internet, the surname of this Lithuanian probably appeared in the Belarusian media for the first time in 2008. The supercar Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 was captured on the streets of Minsk, and the local community was interested in knowing who the owner was. . The car, worth more than a million euros, was the most expensive and powerful car produced at the time.

The participant of the Belarusian forum shared the information that this car was registered in the name of V. Tomaszewski, and the registration address is Switzerland, Canton of Ticino, Lugano. Made it public interfax.by. V.Tomaševskis, the true owner of the supercar, was questioned both by forum participants and by the Belarusian media, who considered that perhaps the car belonged to another wealthy man in Lithuania.

However, this direction leads to a stunning 33-acre hilltop villa overlooking Lake Lugano. To be able to live here, V. Tomaševskis also confirms an entry in the phone book in Switzerland. swiss-data-history.com in the database

The Bugatti’s villa and secret owner were also covered by local Swiss media.

“There is a secret about the owner who owns a thousand and one night villa. Reminiscent of a Greek temple, the impressive palace overlooks the lake from above. This property is registered in the name of a Lithuanian magnate. Although no one has seen his face, neighbors could bet that it belongs to billionaire Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea. However, the confidentiality of his identity is absolute, to the point that when he visited the construction site, the workers were sent to an isolated room so that he could not see him, “he wrote of the area. ticinonews.ch.

The article goes on to say that villa owners don’t care about the price at all.

“An informed source says that Swarovsky’s chandeliers hang from the ceiling, there are two pools here: one inside and one outside. Not to mention home theater, conference rooms, and endless rooms adorned with an army of ancient Greek busts and sixteenth-century paintings. And here is the blue Bugatti, a car worth more than a million francs, which can be discovered by entering the name and surname of this Lithuanian tycoon on the Internet, “the publication wrote.

However, another expert acknowledged that the talks about R. Abramovich are rumors, “he will not be a Russian magnate,” but said that a villa on that street could cost around 50 million francs (47 million euros), the portal wrote. uncle.ch.

Another impressive V.Tomaševskis related villa is in Altėja (Altea Hills neighborhood), Spain. This neighborhood is famous for its isolation and privacy, the wealthy of Russia, is guarded 24 hours by security guards, strangers are not allowed.

Domus Uniq SL, a real estate development company, is registered at the above address and owns real estate. V.Tomaševskis as the sole partner of the company It has been on the list since 2015, according to an extract from the Spanish registry. It is true that Lewben helps in the administration of the company: the Lithuanian company EC BPO is appointed as administrator, this company is managed by Justinas Klimašauskas, member of the Board of Lewben.

The villa here even extends over three plots, shows 15 minutes plot plan available for the region. The villa consists of several buildings, on the outside, a swimming pool. It is from the nearby airport that a luxury plane usually flies to Vilnius. The value of the real estate reported by the Spanish company was around 12 million euros.

Lewben seems to have been able to find staff for these villas. Lewben board member R. Kavaliauskienė publicly shared a Facebook post: “I am looking for someone who would like to work abroad! Maintain and manage the villa! He would be very grateful for the recommendations. “When asked where the villa was, he pointed to Switzerland.

YouTube is public several videos that you can see possibly related to V. Tomševskis exclusive luxury property.

We were also able to identify several potential villa employees on social media who visited, filmed and photographed in the Altai and Lugano areas: they flew in a private plane, captured Bugatti and Ferrari luxury cars in the garage.

The real asset is the commercial package

Still 15 minutes reviewed only notable external assets related to V.Tomaševskis. The business magnate’s portfolio appears to consist of a wide range of businesses and projects in Eastern European countries, which Lewben has been able to spread across a wide network of foreign companies.

Some of the V. Tomaszewski related companies were related to J. Čiž, one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in Belarus. Part of the shares of Belarusian companies in Čižas were owned by two English companies, in which Vitold Tomaševskis is now mentioned as the final beneficiary. The European Union imposed sanctions on these companies because of their relationships with J. Čižas in 2012, and in 2015 the sanctions were lifted by the court. We will explain this in more detail in the next part of the study. 15 minutes The collected data also shows that V. Tomaszewski’s company marketed Belarus-produced petroleum products in Cyprus.

Also in other research publications we will review the ongoing projects in Kaliningrad and Russia, which may be related to V.Tomaševskis and “Lewben”. For example, in 2018 Redcast Holding Limited sued in the Virgin Islands and demanded the return of 65 million euros lent to the business of Georgian magnate Alexander Ebralidze.

Kaliningrad’s emerging potassium and magnesium salt mine and refinery is worrying local communities, where the media has been looking for a true investor, but has recovered from a tangle of offshore companies. In addition, in Moscow, the same company is mentioned in a criminal case: it condemned people who, with the help of people at the highest levels of government, caused billions of rubles in damage to the Russian state and to creditors.

Redcast Holding Limited, which is associated with V. Tomaszewski, has also invested in the amber industry, both in Ukraine and in Lithuania. In Ukraine, potential business contacts with political representatives received attention.

In its reports, the SSD has repeatedly highlighted the security risks to Lithuania posed by the relations of legal and private persons with eastern third countries.

“Seeing the aggressiveness of the Russian state and the actions of the leadership administration, I think that, without a doubt, every relationship with that state has certain manifestations of risk. We also say this openly because we know that there can probably be few honest businesses there Because we see the actions of their Kremlin-backed oligarchs and what is being done with the oligarchs who did not support the Kremlin. ” – LRT television programs Darius Jauniškis, the head of the SSD, has spoken on the topic of the day.

V. Kavaliauskas: we cannot deny or confirm

V. Kavaliauskas, the head and shareholder of the Lewben Group, was surprised to receive him. 15 minutes Questions about V.Tomaševskis or companies related to it.

“Frankly, I was very surprised by your questions. Many of the questions are directed and / or related to third parties, and the rest of the questions are listed as statements that we cannot deny or confirm.

As you undoubtedly know, Lewben is a provider of professional business services based on its success, among other things, absolute respect for each client’s personal information and, of course, confidentiality, “says V. Kavaliauskas.

Responses emphasize that Lewben Group operates in Lithuania and other jurisdictions in strict compliance with legislation, market regulatory standards and licensing requirements, has implemented and adheres to strict operational match and customer acceptance rules.

“In some of the questions, you implicitly identify Lewben as a possible third-party service provider, but even if Lewben provided the services to third parties that you specify, we would not be able to disclose such information not only confidentially, but also in strict compliance with the Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ” the requirements for the protection of privacy, personal data and confidentiality set out in the Declaration and other legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Union (including the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation), “says V. Kavaliauskas in your comment.

15 minutes received warnings from Lithuanian and Swiss lawyers

15 minutes he sent dozens of questions to Vitold Tomaszewski himself. However, instead of answers, two law firms in Lithuania and Switzerland 15 minutes letters sent with alerts.

Andrius Iškauskas, a lawyer representing V.Tomaševskis in Lithuania, submitted a complaint stating that 15 minutes After the investigation is announced, Tomaszewski can go to court. Since you are not a resident of the Republic of Lithuania, you are cautioned that the dispute may take place in a foreign jurisdiction and require more resources.

“The Client realized that UAB 15min and the journalist Birutė Davidonytė collect information on the origin of the client, education, family and its members, place of residence, biographical details, occupation, home, car, other property, their origin, income , managed companies, transactions, partners and more This information belongs to the Client’s privacy policy. <...> We ask him to stop illegally collecting information about the Client’s private life and not to publish such information, ”reads the letter from lawyer A.Iškauskas.

The letter also threatens criminal liability and warns that V. Tomaševskis may request that the police initiate a pre-trial investigation. True, after sending questions to the lawyer and asking for his client’s comment, the next day he replied that he could not comply with the request because he did not directly represent V. Tomaszewski.

Soon 15 minutes He also received a letter from a Swiss law firm. The content of the warning is similar, it is true that it was already threatened by the Swiss Penal Code, not the Lithuanian one.

V.Tomaševskis answers the questions 15 minutes Not yet received.

In the next part of the research, we will describe the relationships of V. Tomaševskis related companies in Belarus, joint projects with the businessman from this country, Yuri Čiž. Until now, the actions of Belarusian EU-sanctioned companies were not known to be controlled by companies related to Lithuania.

About research and sources

Birut journal Davidonytė and Ernestas Naprys, journalists from the Investigation Department, carry out this journalistic investigation for 15 minutes.

We rely on publicly available information, testimonies, and responses from story participants to each person.

The study used data from legal entities and property registries in Cyprus, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania. The investigation was also based on information provided in Lithuanian and foreign judgments or lawsuits, as well as on the financial statements of companies in different countries. Foreign media reports, social media accounts, testimonials and other public sources of information helped establish the connections.

In conducting this investigation, we tried to listen to V. Tomaševskis’ own position in several ways: we asked his representatives questions both in Lithuania and in Switzerland. However, their responses have not yet been received and all requests have been rejected.

The relationships between the individuals and legal entities described may have changed.

If you have more information on the subject, you would like to ask a question: you can write to the research team for 15 minutes by email at [email protected].