Russian tycoon Rotenberg files lawsuit against Scandinavian banks for failure to provide service because of sanctions
Representatives of the Swedish banks Svenska Handelsbanken and Nordea, the Danish bank Danske Bank and their Finnish divisions have confirmed to the Finnish broadcasting corporation Yle that Russian businessman Boris Rotenberg filed lawsuits against them and accused them of violating their obligations.
In early October, Rotenberg filed lawsuits against these banks and the Finnish OP Corporate Bank with the Helsinki District Court. The businessman alleged that the banks violated service obligations for his accounts because of the US sanctions.
A representative of the Handelsbanken said that they were notified of the lawsuit on October 19th but that they could make no comment or provide any information about private clients. A representative of Danske Bank said that the bank is doing everything it can to fight money laundering and enforce sanctions.
Rotenberg, a Finnish citizen was targeted by US sanctions in March 2014, along with other businessmen whom Washington considered to be close to President Vladimir Putin. In September 2018, Forbes ranked Arkady and Boris Rotenberg as the second richest family in Russia. The magazine estimated their total fortune at $4.85 billion.