A new criminal case is likely to be opened against former chief executive of Societe Generale's Russian subsidiary Rosbank, Vladimir Golubkov, who was charged with bribery last month, Izvestia reported Friday.
One of the bank's former clients, Igor Krayushkin, has filed a complaint against Golubkov. Krayushkin, who was a co-owner of clothing retail chain Podium, said Golubkov schemed against him with his co-owner Eduard Kitsenko.
Krayushkin acted as guarantor for a loan his company took out from Rosbank in 1999.
When he decided to retire from business in 2008 due to health problems, Kitsenko offered to buy out his 50 percent share of the company and free him from his role of guarantor, a process which Golubkov promised to give the green light, Krayushkin said.
However, when he sold his his shares, Golubkov went back on the agreement and Krayushkin was forced to carry on in that capacity.
Podium stopped paying the loan and went bankrupt six months later.
"The company didn't pay for the loan for half a year and went bankrupt, owing several million dollars, I think this situation couldn't happen behind Golubkov's back," Krayushkin told the paper.
Investigators said they had received several other complaints against Golubkov, but emphasized that an inquiry would be very thorough, because they had suspicions that some businessmen who have taken loans from Rosbank might use the situation in order to shift the blame for their troubles to Golubkov.
Golubkov was arrested in May after being filmed by investigators with piles of cash on his office desk. He pleaded innocent to bribery charges that, if proven, could put him behind bars for seven years.
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