Roman Trotsenko, who cut suspicious deal with Pashinyan, attends Islamic forum
Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, owner of the GeoProMining group, has made his first public appearance since the scandal over a leaked phone call late in April, Pastinfo reports.
“He attended an Islamic forum to gain support from Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, apparently feeling that 'the ground was cut from under his feet’,” the media outlet said.
Reports circulating on Russian Telegram channels suggest Trotsenko’s coveted behind-the-scenes talks with Minnikhanov could take place at the evening reception marking the opening of the forum.
“Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the KazanForum, Trotsenko's new purchase of a promising airport in Ras Al Khaimah, where a tourism surge is expected soon due to the construction of the UAE's first casino, will be discussed. The investment condition for Trotsenko to develop the airport was $1 billion. As it was the case with the Grosseto Airport, this is how Trotsenko continues to withdraw money from Russia,” Pastinfo stated.
The Russian billionaire, who owns quite large stakes in a number of mines operating in Armenia, was embroiled in a political scandal in late April. In a leaked phone call with Russian businessman Nikolay Matushevsky, Trotsenko suggested Russia was doomed in light of the Ukraine conflict to become a “scorched desert” run into the ground by the Kremlin.
“Unfortunately, Russia, which we love so sincerely, has ended up in the clutches of some scumbags. This can't end well, it will end in hell... People will kill each other on the streets of Moscow,” he said.
Trotsenko was also involved in a suspicious deal in Armenia. He acquired 60% of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) and “granted” a quarter of that stake to Nikol Pashinyan’s office in yet unknown circumstances in September 2021.
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