Blackpool Football club haven’t had the easiest time over recent years, and things are just going from bad to worse for the Fylde Coast club.
They have today received press reports of an incident that took place at the Riga Headquarters of Baltic International Bank, owned by Club President Valeri Belokon and his brother, Vilori.
LTV, a public service broadcasting television company in Latvia, reported that the Economic Police, with the help of Special Force ‘Omega’, carried out a search of the bank on the afternoon of Monday 16 May 2016.
Investigators have since confirmed that the search was made in relation to criminal proceedings concerning money laundering within the group.
The Economic Police detained one of the employees after searching the Bank and other related sites.
The search follows a recent €1.1m fine on Baltic International Bank from Latvia’s financial regulator due to repeated violations of laws regarding money laundering terrorist financing and customer due diligence.
Blackpool Football Club’s board have repeatedly requested information as to the source of the funds that were invested by Mr Belokon and his associated companies into Blackpool FC.
The Club’s Board has requested explanations concerning the disparity between the apparent source of funds and Mr Belokon’s previous statements.
The requests have been made to both Mr Belokon and Mr Varpins, both directors of the Club, and to Mr Belokon and his company VBFA.
No satisfactory response has been given to the questions, or to the inquiries made by the club’s board as to the involvement of a jointly owned company Maval Aktivi, of which Mr Belokon and Mr Maxim Bakiyev were owners before the company closed.
The club’s board have taken the unprecedented step of informing the UK football authorities of their concerns, and contacting the financial regulatory authorities in Latvia and Kyrgyzstan to seek clarification and further information.
Blackpool Football Club has initiated the closure of their Baltic international account and the removal of their funds from the Baltic International Bank.
Blackpool Football Club have announced that they will continue to do all in their power to seek answers to the questions raised with Mr Valeri Belokon and Mr Kaspars Varpins.
Mr Valeri Belokon has declined to attend any Board Meetings at Bloomfield Road for several years.
