The National Corruption Prevention Agency listed Metro Cash & Carry as an international sponsor of the war because of the decision of the company’s management to continue operations in Russia.
This is reported press service of the NAPC.
In addition to the retail business, the interests of the company’s management are closely related to the strategic sectors of the Russian economy: oil and gas and banking. And this directly affects the support of the Russian military machine,” the Agency explains.
Investigative journalism revealed that Metro Cash & Carry’s key shareholder Daniel Kretinsky controls EP Infrastructure (EPIF), which owns 49% of Eustream, the company that operates the gas transmission system that transports Russian gas to Central and Eastern Europe.
“While the entire civilized world refuses the energy resources of the terrorist state, the management of Metro Cash & Carry demonstrates that cooperation with the Russian Federation will not only not be terminated, but will only intensify in the future,” the NAPC added.
This is evidenced, in particular, by the recognition of Metro Cash & Carry as acceptable payment by cards of the Russian payment system Mir (Sberbank project) and the opening of a new chain of grocery stores “near the house” in Russia – Fasol.
Metro Cash & Carry also participates in “ideological” Russian initiatives.
In particular, at the end of last year, information was circulating on the Internet that the German METRO network in Russia was selling “Wagner sledgehammers”, which became popular in the Russian Federation after the publication of cruel videos about the alleged execution of Wagner PMC fighters who had returned from Ukrainian captivity.
“Obviously, in this way the management of the trading network demonstrates maximum loyalty to the regime of the aggressor country,” the NAPC added.
Reminder:
National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption contributed the French corporation Auchan to the list of international sponsors of the war.
