The State Revenue Service (SRS) learned about the connection of SIA “Chatextech” with money laundering from the US authorities. The company has maintained a cryptocurrency exchange platform, Chatex, which has been used by fraudsters to monetize cryptocurrencies extorted from cyber-attack victims.
The SRS indicated that the case was large – many tens of millions of dollars were stolen in the United States. But money has not flowed through Latvia.
Agnese Rudzīte, Director of the Anti – Money Laundering Department of the SRS, told Latvian Television: “The company used Latvia only as a legal address. It did not have an office where anyone would be physically located, nor a bank account here in Latvia. “
SIA “Chatextech” was founded in Latvia by three Russian and one Belarusian citizen at the beginning of this year, indicating the building at Ganibu dambis 26A as the legal address. More than 130 legal entities are registered here.
The building belongs to the company “Valmieras 28”, in which half of the part belongs to the company “Wave Media” of the non-political member of the Saeima Jūlija Stepanenko (“Latvia in the first place”).
“I congratulate you, you have really found something that I had not noticed, where I really do not have to keep track of what is on my property every day,” commented Yulia Stephanenko.
To the question of “Panorama” that it might be possible to pay more attention to it in the future, the deputy said: “What, please, in the future? I follow all the laws.”
After an interview with Latvian Television, the deputy’s husband Vyacheslav Stephanenko contacted him to emphasize that he was not involved in the management and that the building had been handed over to the manager of SIA “TIKSS”. The company confirmed that Chatextech did not rent the premises but the mailbox.
It has already been reported that the SRS has carried out an inspection of the company “Chatextech” and found significant violations. As a result of the inspection, the SRS has suspended the operation of the company and imposed a fine of 100,000 euros.
