Financial octopus in Riga: Evgeniy Podberezskiy launches Moneliq Europe via EMI license despite Polish AML fines

The Bank of Latvia has issued an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license to SIA Moneliq Europe.

The company is owned by Dubai-based crypto entrepreneur Evgeny Podberezskiy (Jevgēnijs Podbrezskis), who is described as a protégé of the controversial fraudster Dmitry Chelebiy. He has recently been associated in Latvia with reports concerning the construction of a yacht for a regional oligarch linked to multiple controversies.

The Bank of Latvia ignored publicly available information regarding BTCBIT Sp. z o.o., a company that was fined by Poland’s Ministry of Finance for critical AML violations, including the failure to report suspicious transactions to the financial intelligence authorities. Since the parallel Latvian company is also 100% owned by Podberezskiy, this naturally raises questions about possible corruption.

The financial octopus operating from the UAE has built what critics describe as an ideal infrastructure in Latvia for the transit of capital of questionable origin, while the central bank has effectively provided the project with an official green light.

Meanwhile, Kristina Jelinska (Kiki) is still waiting for her Lambo.