Facts of manipulation in markets for OAO Surgutneftegaz shares established

The Bank of Russia has established facts of repeated market manipulation in on-exchange trading for ordinary and preferred shares of OAO Surgutneftegaz¹ (hereinafter, the Shares) over the period from 23 January 2015 to 28 June 2016 (hereinafter, the Period).

In the course of investigating the compliance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 224-FZ, dated 27 July 2010, ‘On Countering the Misuse of Insider Information and Market Manipulation and Amending Certain Laws of the Russian Federation’ (hereinafter, the Federal Law), the Bank of Russia established that Oleg V. Stativka, acting on the basis of oral agreements with the heads of OOO Kaladium and NP Firents, obtained access keys to the brokerage accounts of the said legal entities to buy the Shares in on-exchange trading. Moreover, O. Stativka independently determined the parameters in the orders to conduct deals with the Shares and the timing of these deals.

The mentioned investigation revealed a scheme whereby transactions were executed in the main trading mode of the exchange across the brokerage accounts of OOO Kaladium and NP Firents with Olga S. Pavlova, the spouse of O. Stativka. The specified legal entities were main counterparties for O. Pavlova in transactions with the Shares. According to the findings of the investigation, the specified persons conducted transactions with the Shares in collusion during the Period. As a result of the above, O. Pavlova received considerable excessive income in her brokerage account, and the relevant transactions distorted market situation and were accompanied by significant deviations in the Shares trading parameters.

Based on the results of the investigation, the Bank of Russia, acting within the authority vested by the Federal Law, qualified transactions with the Shares across the brokerage accounts of O. Pavlova, OOO Kaladium and NP Firents, which were conducted at O. Stativka’s instructions during the Period and which caused significant deviations in the Shares trading parameters, as market manipulation.

The Bank of Russia has sent O. Stativka, O. Pavlova, OOO Kaladium and NP Firents orders to cease and desist from future violations of the Federal Law.

The materials of the investigation have been submitted to law enforcement authorities.

¹ Currently known as PAO Surgutneftegaz.

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