Business backstage: ”You have won a prize!”

Dozens of companies registered in the countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), connected to a network of offshore companies, collect annually fabulous sums of money by “timeshare” services. In Moldova, such brain-washing machine was put on wheels by Russian businessman Sergei Milovanovic founder of the “Parmato Grup” SRL, who through his company, for a sum of money, sells illusions and makes Moldovians dream of luxury holidays in countries with rich tourist traditions.

Milovanov Sergei is a Russian citizen who conducts more businesses on the territory of Republic of Moldova, the majority of which are registered companies based in Gagauzia. Data from the State Registration Chamber (SRC) indicate that Milovanov is a single founder at foreign-owned enterprises “Exmacom-Plus” Ltd, registered in 2002, organizing storage and transport services. ICS “Exmacom-Plus” Ltd. is based in Gagauzia, or.Vulcăneşti, Vladimir Korolenko Street 6. Also at this address, in 2011, Sergei Milovanovic registered the company “Metalgazcon” LLC, performing construction and dealing with equipment production, measuring instruments, checking and control in construction and other activities. However, according to information from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, “Metalgazcon” Ltd. is among economic agents from Moldova who carries goods by sea, through the ports of Odessa.

Customer recruitment

The largest income Russian businessman receives through the company “Parmato Grup” SRL, which officially executes activities of travel agencies, land transportation of passengers, goods transportation and activities of real estate agencies. Milovanov is a unique founder of this company, the administrator being Ukrainian Vasili Andraşko, a young 31-year-old, residing in the city Lvov, in Ukraine. According to the Chamber, “Parmato Grup” SRL was registered in 2011 with headquarters in Gagauzia, and according to the financial report for 2012; Russian businessman has received £ 1.7 million lei from sales.

Hundreds of Moldovian citizens claim they were deceived by “Parmato Grup” SRL. They include spouses Cibotaru from the capital, who were recruited in a shopping center in Chisinau. Once they have made purchases, at the exit, they were approached by two representatives of the company “Parmato group,” they asked for their phone number to include in a raffle. Later Cibotaru family was notified by telephone that is the winner of a prize.To raise it, they must come to the company headquarter, Decebal Street 80/1, 3rd floor.

“We got dizzy from all kind of crap”

“I went with my husband to see what the gift was about, to the company headquarters on Decebal Street, we went up to the 3rd floor. There we encountered a young woman. She led us into a room where were about 13 couples, to make a presentation, and at the end to announce the winners. To start the presentation we were prompted to disconnect mobile phones and we had no right to talk to each other. On a big screen, we watched for three hours videos with tourist destinations. At the end, we were announced that my husband and I are among the winners. A lady called us into another office, where we were dizzy with all kinds of nonsense. There we were told that the first step we need to do is to pay 4000 lei to get the travel certificate. I paid. And when I called the phone number they gave us, nobody answered the phone, “says Maria Cibotaru.

Cibotaru family has not concluded any agreement with the company “Parmato Grup” SRL. They have just received a promotional certificate that says that in connection with activities to promote the “Club holiday” on the territory of Moldova. “Promotional Certificate offers its holder the right for accommodation for a week in one of the clubs holiday apartments situated on the islands of Tenerife, Spain, Turkey, Thailand, for the compliance by the owner of the conditions specified on the reverse of the certificate “. Thus, if the certificate holder wants to go on holiday, he must still address to the “Parmato Group”, which will organize the flight to tourist destination. Also, it is noted that further the orders for the luxury trip are received by “Firongle Club Solution LP” an offshore company based in the UK.

Connections to offshore companies

We tried to find out more details about the company ”Firongle Club Solution LP”, which must facilitate the customers from Moldova. In the database of – Executive Agency of the Ministry of Trade and Industry in England, an institution like the State Registration Chamber of Moldova are indicated only the name and address of the company “Firongle Club Solution LP”. The rest, information on founders, directors and financial reports are missing.

The official website of the company http://firongle-club.com is registered on the server ae.Moldova.su belonging to the company Riscom SA in Moldova. In fact, companies’ websites “Firongle Club Solution LP “, “Parmato Grup” SRL and “Parmato LLP” are identical in terms of content.

Thursday, December 5 this year, along with Maria Cibotaru I went to the company Parmato Grup SRL to assert the certificate she paid 4000 lei for. To have credibility with employees, I presented as grandson, under the pretext that I would like to go on a luxury holiday. As soon as we entered the company’s premises, at the door, we were met by a man who ensures security. On a cold tone, he asked us what we seek. First we tried to move towards the room where presentations of luxury holidays take place. He told us that, if we don’t have an appointment, we cannot go there. I explained that we want to assert the “promotional certificate”. He led us into an office, where we talked to a representative of the company. She explained generally that the next step is to purchase plane tickets from “Parmato Grup” SRL. But she didn’t give us details about the cost of the ticket and destination. “When you come with the money, then we talk. Now we cannot tell you anything. And we cannot return money. You paid this certificate for advertisement at the holiday club. And still there are other costs”, the employee from “Parmato Grup”SRL told us.

MIA: Scam Scheme

In 2012, the Interior Ministry announced in a press release that officers of the Fraud Investigation of MIA have found irregularities in the company “Parmato group” activity that, allegedly provide tourism services abroad.

According MIA, the police exposed a scam scheme, practiced by employees of “Parmato” company. During the checks carried out on June 16, 2012, it was found that most of them are citizens of Ukraine, trained in customer recruitment, from whom perceived by fraud, between 400 and 15 000 euros. In return for this money, victims are promised holidays in countries of rich tourist traditions. Investigators determined that the scammers were working, particularly, in shopping centers, with the mission to identify and attract, to the so-called training, potential victims.

People who were lured were subsequently shown photos and videos of places with promoted destinations, after what the pseudo contracts were signed on the company name Parmato LLP, based in the UK, being collected impressive amounts of money. It was found that Parmato LLP knows nothing about the existence of these contracts, including the work of SRL Parmato group in Moldova. Based on collected materials, on June 16, 2012, the Interior Ministry and Prosecutor Chisinau opened a criminal case for “scam”, in which were heard as suspects, 15 people, employees of SRL Parmato group, both citizens of Ukraine and Moldova.

MIA deletes the press release. Prosecution closes the case

A month later, the prosecutor Cornelius Pleşca from Chisinau Prosecutor’s Office issued an order to stop the prosecution, and the Interior Ministry deleted the press release from the site www.mai.gov.md without giving an explanation on this topic. Contacted by ZdG, representatives of MIA Service Public Relations told us that “information has been deleted because from time to time we are cleaning up the site”.

Once the waters got quieter and to wash their tarnished image, at the end of 2012, the company “Parmato Grup SRL called televisions to the company headquarters to make an advertising material, about luxury holidays and services offered by them, for money. It requires to be mentioned that ZdG published the MIA press release about scams from “Parmato group”. On the site forum of www.zdg.md are recorded over a hundred comments of people who describe the scheme that they were deceived by this company. In the summer of this year, the company of Sergei Milovanovic sued Ziarul de Gardă newspaper, asking at the court the newspaper to erase the information about “Parmato Group” and user comments from the site. Currently, the case is pending at Center Court.

In order to terminate prosecution on “Parmato Grup” SRL, signed by Attorney Cornelius Pleşca, it shows that the Parmato company’s employees, a company that is not holding in the field of tourism, under the pretext of service provision of “timeshare”, held illicit activities accompanied by collecting a profit.

The transaction at 22.00 — at clients home

On June 14, 2012, employees from “Parmato Grup” SRL received from spouses Cocier money in the amount of 10 000 lei and 800 euros for concluding a contract for ”timeshare” holidays. According to testimonies of husbands Cocier, after being pulled into the race by the classical scheme, a company employee went to their home, at 10 at night to collect the money. Employee named “Alexander” has issued a contract and told the spouses Cocier to go to the company to get a receipt. The next day, when they presented at the company headquarter, they were not allowed to enter inside.

According to the order for termination of the prosecution, the prosecutor questioned several parties involved in the case, including the Ukrainian Vasili Andraşko, who told the prosecutor that he came to Moldova at the request of the General Director of the company “Renaissance C” Olga Tirkia. Finally, the prosecutor decided to cease prosecution “because their offense has no elements of crime” of the art. 190 in the Penal Code, that the illicit acquisition of assets of another person by deceit and abuse of trust, or any other offense under criminal law.

The Agency of Tourism: Is an illegal activity

I telephoned the prosecutor Cornelius Pleşca to make some remarks on the case. Initially, he said that is available to talk to us, and after I explained what interests us, he said “I am busy now. I am hearing someone. I do not know when to come back … I’m busy”. The next day, Pleşca told us again that is busy and that: “I am hearing someone. I’m busy!”.

Company “Parmato Grup” SRL is not registered in the database of the Tourism Agency of the Government of R. Moldova. “They are not licensed in tourism, besides that they registered at SRC. For the services they provide they need a licensed and registration with us. Law enforcement must deal with them. It is an illegal activity. We recorded several complaints from customers of “Parmato group. ”I told them to turn to law enforcement and to sue them. I do not understand why people are so naive and do not inform in advance. Unfortunately, this is the situation”, said Andrei Nica, employed at committee of regulation and control of the Tourism Agency.

“Parmato” sued. Customers win

Several customers of “Parmato Group” company acted in court asking to be reimbursed the sums received by them by fraud, plus a sum of money as moral damages. Some cases are still pending in the court of Botanica and Vulcăneşti District Court and in other cases the Court of Appeal issued final decisions that ruled in favor of customers. We tried to talk to the administrator of the “Parmato group.” An employee answering the phone told us: “I conveyed to Mr. Andraşko. He said he is thinking whether to speak to you, and if he decides, he will call you”.

According to literature, “Timeshare” is a way to buy holiday accommodation, which gives tourists the right to occupy an apartment, a villa or any other type of housing, during one or more weeks per year. Lately, this service is used mostly for purposes of extortion.

In the documentation I did on this subject, we found thousands of complaints about scams perpetrated through the services of “timeshare”, especially, in the countries of Eastern Europe and CIS. However, this issue was discussed at the European Commission, which advises people not to be so easily drawn to presentations about the concept of “timeshare” under the pretext that they had won a holiday or a prize.

Iurie SANDUȚA