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This text initially appeared on Velo_News
Reviews from each Kazakhstan and Luxembourg have confirmed that the general public prosecutor’s workplace in Luxembourg has opened a case involving Astana Qazaqstan’s paying agent and license holder, Abacanto SA. The case stems from an earlier civil motion and is now being presided over by an investigating choose.
Astana Qazaqstan declined to touch upon the matter, particularly round any doable hyperlinks between the investigation and group supervisor Alexandre Vinokourov. Nevertheless, experiences in Kazakhstan point out that the previous rider is a part of the investigation and that he’s named within the associated doc.
Final week VeloNews revealed that the group’s riders had not been paid their January wages, and whereas that delay has now been rectified, with that month’s wages showing in riders’ financial institution accounts Monday, there may be nonetheless no signal of February’s installments, in keeping with a supply near the scenario.
Nevertheless, of maybe higher significance is the report that first surfaced final week on www.kp.kz.
Based on the web site, a case was opened in January 2021 towards Astana’s paying agent Abacanto SA. That is completely unrelated to the delay of wages however VeloNews understands that the instigation of the case, and its doable ties to the administration of the group, was a part of the rationale why Premier Tech determined to step away from their sponsorship duties in 2021. Vinokourov was briefly fired by the group final 12 months earlier than later being reinstated.
Based on the report in KP.KZ, Abacanto SA is charged with violations beneath article 140 of the native prison code. These embrace allegations of the forgery of paperwork, misuse of company belongings, breach of belief, cash laundering, and fraud. Contact particulars for Abacanto SA at present level to Astana Qazaqstan and vice versa.
Abacanto SA is a publicly listed firm primarily based in Luxembourg. In 2020 Biking Weekly reported that the lads’s WorldTour group had been “hanging on a Luxembourg firm referred to as Abacanto SA for the previous 10 years.”
The monetary data web site North Information states that the aim of Abacanto SA, “is the illustration of athletes in addition to the group and administration of sporting occasions. The corporate could perform any industrial, monetary or industrial, movable, and immovable actions, instantly or not directly associated to its objective. The corporate could arrange branches and subsidiary firms overseas and take part in different firms overseas.”
VeloNews contacted the general public prosecutor’s workplace in Luxembourg. It might not affirm the present standing of the case or if any of the group’s administration was at present a part of their investigation.
“The general public prosecutor’s workplace in Luxembourg confirms {that a} judicial investigation has been opened following a criticism with civil motion lodged for info that have been allegedly dedicated throughout the framework of the Luxembourg firm ABACANTO S.A. and are prone to represent offenses,” Henri Eippers, a former RTL journalist who’s now a Judicial Administration spokesperson, advised VeloNews.
“In view of the continued investigation, the general public prosecutor’s workplace doesn’t intend to supply any additional data on this case.”
Astana Qazaqstan was contacted twice by VeloNews over a number of days. Their first response – when it was introduced to them that each the paying agent and Vinokourov have been tied to the investigation – was of shock, whereas their second reply on Tuesday was a easy “we can’t remark.”
The place the case at present sits is unclear at this stage but when costs are introduced towards people then doable jail time may very well be concerned, in keeping with Luxembourg regulation. Circumstances of this nature can final properly over twelve months, and on this scenario, whereas the general public prosecutor’s workplace wouldn’t remark, VeloNews understands that an investigating choose is at present engaged on the case.
From that time, the choose would file their findings with the Luxembourg state prosecutor, and they might resolve if the case would go to a trial.
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