Lately, a whole lot of reports in the media scene of Ukraine were directed against the owner of DCH AleksanderYaroslavskiy. Some of them even used the name of RBC-Ukraine illegally, and after a check, all reports turned out to be false. We asked AleksandrYaroslavskiy to comment on the situation in a rapid-fire interview.
RBC-Ukraine: Please comment on the situation between AIS auto corporation and UkrSibbank. The owners of the former accused DCH Group of an attempt to take over its assets illegally.
- I’ve been doing business for more than 20 years. I have never been involved in any dirty story and I will never be. There is no sense to change my standpoint at the age of 53. And as to AIS, I don’t need any of their assets. AIS owes over $100 million to UkrSibbank. They also have debts to a consortium of banks. Such as Alpha Bank and VTB Bank. The total amount is around $200 million.
RBC-Ukraine: Has UkrSibbank tried to dispossess the property pledged by AIS corporation to return its money?
- First of all, I’m interested in the debt to UkrSibbank which amounts to approximately $100 million. It is a well-known fact that I’m directly connected to this bank. I was one of those who created it; I have been engaged in its development for 20 years. I have close ties with the head office of BNP Parisbas Group. I will continue dealing with this debt until justice is restored. I have no interest in AIS assets, I’m only concerned in money being returned to the bank. Nothing else.
RBC-Ukraine: So an information campaign about DCH attempting an illegal takeover was launched by AIS to avoid paying the debts?
- I don’t care much for their campaign. I’m interested in money which was taken and not returned by Polyakov and Svyatash. UkrSibbank has the pledges for those credits. Meanwhile they made pledge agreements with the same assets in other banks, like Alpha Bank. Yesterday (interview was taken on November 8, 2013), I had a conversation with the Moscow management of Alpha Bank. I asked them to be absolutely reasonable. Not to make it look like the Ukrainian “daughter” of Alpha Bank is in fact receiving stolen goods. Because all these pledges, these assets, were actually stolen from UkrSibbank. Everything can be checked in the documents. I’m sure that my Moscow colleagues have seen my point and will slap wrists of their Ukrainian representatives.
RBC-Ukraine: Have you tried to resolve the situation with AIS not only with judicial methods? Today, for example, there is a government committee on protection of investors’ rights headed by the first deputy prime minister Arbuzov. It helps foreign investors solve problematic issues.
- Recently, I participated in the work of a “mini-Davos”, was at all meetings and listened very carefully. At the last meeting, I was listening to the first deputy prime minister Arbuzov who heads the anti-raiding government committee. He was very clear in saying that they will put an end to raiders. He even gave an example that the committee has received more than 500 appeals. I was just sitting there listening. I decided not to address the matter in front of so many foreign guests. But if those insinuations continue, everything will proceed in a completely different manner.
RBC-Ukraine: The owners of AIS – the deputies Svyatash and Polyakov – previously stated that they left the AIS business. Do you think it is really so?
- The guys need to do work. Polyakov and Svyatash need to make up their minds – they are either deputies or businessmen. Besides that, I have one more question – do they get only their deputy salary or make their living out of the business? Otherwise, it is not clear how they continue doing business if they supposedly stopped managing the companies. I would like to know the answer to this question.
RBC-Ukraine: Recently, a number of Internet-sources published news with reference to your interview in which you allegedly say that you “would give everything for liberation of Tymoshenko for the sake of speeding-up the EU integration of Ukraine”. Turned out that the news were fake, there being no interview at all. Comment on this situation.
- You see, I have never given any political interviews or commentaries in 20 years. And now, at 53, I suddenly went crazy and started giving such interviews. I am a businessman and my final product is money. There is nothing more to add.
RBC-Ukraine: Are you going to take some actions against those who released this fake?
- I’m not even going to concern myself with this nonsense. Everybody knows me and knows my attitude towards political issues very well. It is not my domain, I have no influence there and I’m not going to engage in that. My domain is business, it is what I’m focused on and will pursue. And those fakes are just absurd. I will only end up looking foolish if I comment on every such nonsense.
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