Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Plejo says that Take legal action An alleged multi-million dollar scam left his leading company’s shares in the hands of a serial fraudster.
Under a 2021 financing deal, Salinas provided 7.2 million shares of his banking and retail group, Grupo Elektra, to a fund called Astor Asset Management as collateral for a loan to one of his companies that eventually totaled $110 million, Astor said in a press release this week.
Salinas, 68, said. Shares cannot be redeemed despite payment offer. The entire loan.
Elektra shares have been suspended on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) since July 26 due to Salinas’ complaint about alleged fraud.
The fund denies fraud against Ricardo Salinas Pliego.
the Salinas Representatives They say they have filed a lawsuit in the UK against Astor and Vladimir Sklarov, a person also named in other cases related to fraudulent activity.
According to Astor and Salinas, a UK court has issued an interim order preventing Astor from trading in Elektra shares. The case is currently closed.
In an email, Sklarov said he had “no idea” there was a lawsuit. Against him because he was not served with the judicial papers.
Any “unfair accusations” against him are “slander and defamation and those responsible will face very serious financial counterclaims,” Sklarov said. “I intend to defend my dignity, reputation and honor as soon as I am notified.”
Anonymous person replied to inquiries Bloomberg News From a generic email from Astor.
She referred to herself only as a company spokeswoman and denied that Sklarov was the owner of Astor Asset Management, the entity that loaned money to Salinas.
the Calls to phone numbers Listed on their website it was directed to a messaging service.
The business addresses of the companies listed on their website correspond to shared offices in financial centers, such as San Francisco and London.
the Names of general managers The other executives listed on their website cannot be found anywhere else.
A search of court records revealed claims against Sklarov by a Hong Kong-based paper products manufacturer and major financial institutions.
In one Lawsuit filed in February in the Southern District of New YorkHong Kong-based Chenming Holdings accuses Sklarov of refusing to return shares after repaying a loan from another Astor fund last year. Sklarov and several of the companies have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
In a separate lawsuit, Barclays accused Sclaroff of infringing on Lehman Brothers’ trademark to carry out fraudulent schemes. The group filed a similar lawsuit against Sclaroff in 2019.
the Court Records It appears that the two cases were settled and Sklarov agreed not to use the names Lehman Brothers or Rothschild.
“Unfair lawsuits against me are nothing new, as some have tried to throw everything they could at the wall to see what would stick and have issued apologies as a result, withdrawn their lawsuits or paid my legal fees,” Sklaroff said.
Anyone can sue someone frivolouslyBut that doesn’t mean the accusations are true.”
Grupo Salinas will continue its legal action “until those responsible for this potential fraud are brought to justice,” the company said in a statement.
What are the conflicts that Ricardo Salinas Plejo’s companies are experiencing?
he The conflict with Astor This adds to other debt-related issues Salinas has been dealing with in recent months.
Its broadcaster TV Azteca defaulted on a $400 million bond in 2021 and has been battling creditors ever since.
last year, Your cable and internet company Total Play turned to Mexican non-bank financial institutions for the financing it needed after failing to strike a deal with a global financial firm.
Meanwhile, the government claims the billionaire’s companies owe 63 billion pesos in taxes, a figure that includes inflation adjustments and fines. Grupo Salinas went to court, saying the government was seeking to “accuse us twice.”
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