Latvian authorities launched a criminal proceedings against a group of Russian nationals, Forbes in Latvia reports. Sofia Shevtsova, Ludmila Bourlakova and Elena Bourlakova, as well as Ingūna Bobrovska, a notary public in Latvia, are under investigation for an alleged conspiracy to seize the assets of billionaire Oleg Bourlakov who died in 2021, and negligence on the side of the notary public.

Latvian media report that criminal proceedings have been initiated under Part 3 of Article 177, Article 299 and Article 197 of the Latvian Criminal Code. The victims in the case are Estonian Nikolai Kazakov, 70, and his wife Vera.

Oleg Bourlakov and his business partner Nikolai Kazakov once made a fortune together. They shared family ties — Nikolai is married to Oleg’s sister Vera.

The late Oleg Bourlakov took legal action against his former wife and children. He even openly named his daughter the organiser of his attempted murder. Bourlakov also claimed that his ex-wife together with his daughters and son-in-law Gregory Gliner had transferred the money earned by the partners (over 1,5 bln. USD) from their accounts before filing for divorce. A criminal case was initiated in Monaco on the basis of this transfer, leading to charges against Ludmila Bourlakova and a claim by Kazakov has been filed in the US against Bourlakovs and Gliner (husband of Veronica Burlakova working in the stock market)). Nikolai claims that Gregory Gliner used his knowledge and professional connections to facilitate the transfer and dissipation of partnership assets of Nikolai Kazakov and Oleg Bourlakov. Some of the assets were allegedly moved through hedge fund Ironwall Capital by creating false losses on investments in an effort to cover-up significant transfers of those assets abroad.

Bourlakov left his entire estate to Nikolai Kazakov and his sister Vera. However, ex-wife and daughters disagreed with the will. Main inheritance process is ongoing in Monaco where Nikolai Kazakov and Vera Kazakova are admitted as Bourlakov’s legatees. On top of that Russian court has considered the will of Bourlakov in favor of Kazakov’s and declared it valid. This decision has been recently upheld by the court of appeal in Russia. Having failed in the courts of both Monaco and Russia, they decided to try their luck in Latvia.

As Latvian media put it, In March 2022 Sofia Shevtsova filed a claim in the Riga District court to recognize Oleg Bourlakov as the father of Nicole Shevtsova. Sofia concealed from the court the fact that the matter was already pending in the court of another country — a fact that would have been enough to have the action dismissed outright. Sofia received a court decision recognising Nicole Shevtsova as the daughter of Oleg Bourlakov. Using the Riga City Court decision, Shevtsova and Bourlakova tried to seize Bourlakov’s famous yacht "Black Pearl" in Cyprus.

Elena, Ludmila and Veronika Bourlakovs, aware of the falsity of Sofia’s allegations, also concealed information about the pending succession cases and court proceedings in Monaco, as well as the existence of other heirs. Moreover, they themselves had previously stated openly in other court proceedings that Oleg Bourlakov was domiciled in Monaco. As a result of such conduct, the Riga notary Inguna Bobrovska decided to issue a European Certificate of Succession, according to which Ludmila Bourlakova was the sole heir.

The Latvian Prosecutor General’s Office lodged a protest against the Riga City Court’s decision. The court then handed down a new decision suspending the certificate of inheritance. According to Latvian media, the Ministry of Justice and the Council of Notaries are currently examining the complaints filed against notary Bobrovska, while the police have initiated criminal proceedings and opened an investigation against Bourlakova’s ex-wife and daughter for large-scale fraud, misleading a notary, and criminal negligence case against a notary.

"Another cold-blooded attempt by Russian citizens to use the Latvian justice system to mock a European citizen has failed".

Latvian maneuver is another example of the vain attempts of Bourlakovs to seize everything what Oleg bequeathed to his sister Vera and his long-life friend and business partner Nikolai Kazakov. Slightly a year earlier they tried to seize bank accounts in Switzerland, but had to withdraw their claims as they were lacking any substance.

After that there was an attempt of hostile takeover of the Panamanian company of Nikolai Kazakov that was stopped by the Panamanian courts that imposed criminal and civil measures against Bourlakov’s, prohibiting them from acting on behalf of the company and claiming to be the company owners and ordered to delete from the companies registry entries made by Bourlakovs.

Burlakovs’ raid on the company failed as well, although more attempts to seize the assets will probably follow.

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