Фото: Raiffeisen Bank International
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) has no remaining ties to Priorbank following its sale. This was stated by RBI spokesperson Christof Danz in response to a Reform.news request about the circumstances surrounding the sale of the Belarusian asset.
“RBI has sold its Belarusian subsidiary in 2024 and therefore does not retain any economic interest in Priorbank, does not provide operational services for Priorbank and does not receive income linked to the performance of Priorbank,” the response said.
As noted in a report published by Reform.news, some aspects of the deal raised questions and may indicate that the buyer of the Belarusian bank could somehow be linked to the Austrian group.
RBI also stressed that the ultimate beneficiary of Soven 1 Holding Limited, which acquired the Belarusian bank, is known.
“The ultimate beneficial owner of Solven has been disclosed to the relevant regulators and the media as well (Suhail Al Otaiba),” Danz said.
At the same time, Reform.news pointed out that UAE legislation allows a person to act as a nominee owner or represent the interests of others, while the real beneficiaries may remain hidden. During the 2024 deal, doubts were raised over whether the Emirati businessman’s resources and business history would have allowed him to acquire a major bank in Belarus on his own.
It should also be noted that, in addition to the version outlined in the Reform.news article, the publication Nasha Niva suggested that the Emirati holding company could be backed by Belarusian businessmen close to Lukashenka.