Ukraine sells seized Gazprom assets
On 29 January, Ukraine sold a 40.2% share in the company Gaztranzit which previously belonged to Gazprom but had been seized when it failed to pay a multi-billion hryvnia fine from Ukraine’s Anti-Monopoly Committee.
The shares were bought by a closed non-diversified corporate venture investment fund called Goldman at a price of 41.02 million hryvnia ($1.51 million) for 16,650 shares, according to the National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine.
The Goldman investment fund was registered in April 2018 and its ultimate beneficiary is Andriy Nesterenko.
Gaztranzit was established in 1997 with the goal of developing gas transit to Turkey and the Balkans. Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine each owned a 40.2% share in it and 19.6% is owned by the Turkish company Turusgaz. Gazprom says that the company is not currently carrying out any significant activity.
On 22 January 2016, Ukraine’s Anti-Monopoly Committee fined Gazprom 85.97 billion hryvnia ($3.16 million) for abusing its monopoly status in the gas transit market. The notice was sent on 4 March 2016, giving Gapzorm until 4 May 2016 to pay the fine.
The Russian company did not pay on time, and a lawsuit was filed for enforced collection, and the fine amount was doubled through penalties.
Gazprom has lost all of its attempts to dispute the legality of the fine in court.