Commerzbank AG

Application by Uralsib Bank PJSC, of Russia, to take discovery from Citibank, N.A., The Bank of New York Mellon, Société Générale, New York Branch; HSBC Bank USA, N.A., BNP Paribas USA, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Barclays Bank Plc, Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, The Bank of Nova Scotia, New York Agency; UBS AG, Bank of America, N.A., Standard Chartered Bank US, Commerzbank AG, New York Branch, The Clearing House Payments Company, LLC, Paypal, Inc., and MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc. for use in legal proceedings in Russia "to recover a debt" of $4.3 million allegedly owed by Denis Smyslov, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by the Republic of Kazakhstan to take discovery from The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, Bank of China, Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas USA, Citibank N.A., The Clearing House Payments Company LLC (CHIPS), Commerzbank AG, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Société Générale S.A., Standard Chartered Bank USA, UBS AG, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and Bank of America, N.A. for use "in foreign judicial proceedings to enforce and collect upon an arbitral award that was issued in Kazakhstan's favor" against "a Canadian company called Gold Pool JV Limited", filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Kazakhstan is, inter alia, seeking information regarding "third party funding that Gold Pool allegedly received from "a litigation funder registered in Guernsey", a "law firm", and "a Canadian" entity. Editor's Note: Research by OffshoreAlert in the corporate registry for Toronto, Canada showed that Gold Pool JV Limited was incorporated on December 29th, 1995 and its officers and directors are A. Thomas Griffis, President and Director; Elia Crespo, Vice President, Secretary, and Director, and Chris Irwin, Assistant Secretary,

Application by Seawolf Tankers Inc. and Heidmar Inc., both of the Marshall Islands, to take discovery from Riverstone Holdings LLC, DnB Bank ASA, Bank of America NA, Bank of China, The Bank of New York Mellon, Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas SA, Citibank NA, Commerzbank AG, Credit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank Trust Company of Americas, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., HSBC Bank (USA) NA, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS AG, and Wells Fargo Bank NA for use in legal proceedings in the Marshall Islands and United Arab Emirates against several parties, including Ridgebury V4 Investments LLC, Ridgebury Mike LLC, and Ridgebury Kilo LLC, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited to take discovery from Bank of America N.A., Bank of Baroda, Bank of China, New York Branch; The Bank of New York Mellon, BNP Paribas, New York Branch; Citibank N.A. Commerzbank AG, New York Branch; Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, HSBC Bank (USA) N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Mashreq Bank, New York Branch; National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Societe Generale, New York Branch; Standard Chartered Bank, New York Branch; UBS AG, New York Branch, and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. for use in legal proceedings in South Africa involving Oakbay Resources and Energy Limited and allegations of "money laundering, common law fraud, and securities fraud", filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by Invest Bank PSC to take discovery from Citibank N.A., Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, Standard Chartered Bank,  The Bank of New York Mellon, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Barclays Bank PLC, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Société Générale, BNP Paribas USA, The Bank of Nova Scotia, UBS AG, Commerzbank AG, Bank of China, New York Branch, and The Clearing House Payments Company LLC for use in "contemplated proceedings" in Dubai "against Greenline Interiors FZCO, Greenline Yacht Interiors FZCO, Samir Michael Badro, Nabila Iskandar Samir Abboud Badro, Lea Samir Badro Hamadeh, Roy Samir Badro, and Fay Badro Zakhem" involving, inter alia, companies in Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, Dubai, Germany, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Kingdom, and the USA, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The liquidators of ABRAAJ Investment Management Ltd. have applied to take discovery from 17 banks and a clearing house in the U.S. for "contemplated litigation" in the Cayman Islands to recover more than $385 million allegedly misappropriated by the Dubai-based ABRAAJ Group's founder, Arif Naqvi.

Application by the Joint Official Liquidators of ABRAAJ Investment Management Limited, of the Cayman Islands, to take discovery from Bank of America, N.A., The Bank of New York Mellon, Citibank, N.A., Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch; Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Goldman Sachs and Co., HSBC Bank USA, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Mashreqbank PSC, New York Branch; Standard Chartered Bank US, a.k.a. Standard Chartered Bank, New York Branch; Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Barclays Bank PLC, New York Branch; Société Generale North America; BNP Paribas USA Inc.; Bank of Nova Scotia, UBS AG, New York Branch, Commerzbank AG, New York Branch; and The Clearing House Payments Company LLC for use in "contemplated proceedings" regarding an alleged $385 million fraud by Pakistan citizen Asif Masood Naqvi at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by Valla PTC Limited, of Bermuda, as Trustee of the Westline Trust, to take discovery from HSBC Bank USA, HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, HSBC Holdings PLC, UBS AG, Bank of New York Mellon, JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA, Citibank NA, Deutsche Bank (and its affiliates Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and Bankers Trust Company), Wells Fargo Bank, NA, Barclays Bank PLC, Lloyd's Bank USA, Lloyd's Bank Commercial Banking, Commerzbank AG, and Bank of America, NA for use in legal proceedings in the United Kingdom against Jonathan Moss Faiman, described as a citizen of the United Kingdom residing in Monaco, over the alleged failure to repay $30 million in loans, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by Dreymoor Fertilizers Overseas Pte Ltd. to take discovery from HSBC Bank USA, Bank of New York Mellon, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Citibank, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and its affiliates Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust Company; Israel Discount Bank of New York, Wells Fargo Bank, Commerzbank AG, and Bank of America for use in legal proceedings in Lithuania, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by YS GM Marfin II LLC, YS GM MF VII LLC, YS GM MF VIII LLC, YS GM MF IX LLC, and YS GM MF X LLC to take discovery from The Clearing House Payments Company LLC, Bank of America, Bank of China, The Bank of New York Mellon, BNP Paribas USA, Citibank, Commerzbank AG, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, HSBC Bank USA, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS AG, and Wells Fargo Bank for use in "pending and contemplated proceedings" in England, Malaysia and other countries regarding "a brazen $89.2 million multinational maritime fraud" allegedly by Muhammad Tahir Lakhani, and his two sons, Muhammad Ali Lakhani and Muhammad Hasan Lakhani, who are described as "British and Pakistani dual nationals ordinarily resident in England, Pakistan and//or the United Arab Emirates", and involving several jurisdictions, including Nevis, Marshall Islands, Palau, and Panama, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Application by Eurasian Bank JSC and Eurasian Project 1 to take discovery from The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, Citibank, NA, JPMorgan Chase, NA, Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Commerzbank AG, and UBS AG for use in "two pending criminal investigations by the General Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan" regarding suspected fraud and misappropriation by companies allegedly controlled by "Russian businessman" Nurlan Saktapbergenovich Tleubayev, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The closure of the Malta operations of Argentarius Group, which now operates in the Cayman Islands as iMaps Capital, coincided with preliminary legal action against it by the Bank of Valletta regarding an alleged investment fraud that resulted in losses of at least €79 million, OffshoreAlert can reveal.

Application by Hermitage Capital Management Limited to conduct discovery from Bank of America NA, Bank of China, Bank of New York Mellon, BNP Paribas USA, Citibank NA, Commerzbank AG, Credit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank Trust Co Americas, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Mashreqbank Psc., Standard Chartered Bank, UBS AG, and Wells Fargo Bank NA for use in criminal proceedings brought by Russia on December 11th, 2018 against Hermitage, its Founder & CEO, Bill Browder; Ivan Cherkasov, and others for alleged tax fraud, filing of a false bankruptcy, and embezzlement, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by Fernando Celso de Aquinho Chad, as Judicial Administrator in Bankruptcy of Proema Automotiva SA, Bowden Industrial Ltda., and Interamna Patricipações SA, to take discovery from Citibank, N.A., The Bank of New York Mellon, Société Générale, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., BNP Paribas USA, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Barclays Bank Plc, Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, Bank of Nova Scotia, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., UBS AG;Bank of America, N.A., Standard Chartered Bank, Commerzbank AG, Bank of China USA - New York Branch, Safra National Bank of New York, and The Clearing House Payments Company LLC for use in bankruptcy proceedings in Brazil, where the debtors' beneficial owner, Paolo Paparoni, is suspected of fraud, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Ex Parte Application by VEON Ltd., formerly VimpelCom Ltd., to take discovery from The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, N.A., Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, Bank of China, Barclays Bank Plc, BNP Paribas USA, Citibank NA, The Clearing House Payments Company LLC, Commerzbank AG, HSBC Bank USA, NA, Société Générale SA, Standard Chartered Bank USA, UBS AG, Wells Fargo Bank, NA, Beltone Financial USA, LLC, and Auerbach Grayson and Company, LLC for use in proceedings in England, Malta, and the Cayman Islands, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Application by Furstenberg Finance SAS and Marc Bataillon to take discovery from Bank of America NA, Bank of China, The Bank of NY Mellon, BNP Paribas SA, Citibank, N.A., Commerzbank AG, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, HSBC Bank (USA), N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Société Générale, Standard Chartered Bank, and UBS AG for use in "reasonably contemplated foreign criminal proceedings in Luxembourg against Jean-Michel Paul, filed at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in the Cayman Islands by Matthew Wright and Christopher Kennedy, as Foreign Representatives of Niton Fund SPC, U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Motion for Temporary Restraining Order in U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Arkadiy Dubovoy, Igor Dubovoy, Pavel Dubovoy, Nelia Dubova, David Amaryan, Alexander Fedoseev, Aleksandr Garkusha, Oleksander Ieremenko (a.k.a. Aleksander Eremenko), Vladislav Khalupsky, Vitaly Korchevsky, Roman Lavlinskiy, Oleksandr Makarov, Leonid Momotok, Nikolai Slepenkov, Andriy Supranonok, Ivan Turchynov, Maxim Zakharchenko, APD Developers, LLC, Beratto Group Ltd., Bering Explorer Fund Ltd., Concorde (Bermuda) Limited, Escada Logistics Ltd., Exante Ltd., Global Hedge Capital Group, Guibor S.A., Intertrade Pacific S.A., Memelland Investments Ltd., Jaspen Capital Partners Limited, NTS Capital Fund, Ocean Prime Inc., Omega 26 Investments Ltd. and Southeastern Holding and Investment Company LLC at the U. S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of Foreign Main Proceeding in the Cayman Islands by Hugh Dickson and Mark Byers, of Grant Thornton, as the Foreign Representatives of Saad Investments Company Limited, at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Forfeiture Complaint for US$92 million in USA v. Commerzbank AG at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Criminal Information in USA v. Commerzbank AG and Commerzbank AG New York Branch at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Forfeiture Complaint in USA v. assets in the names of Mohammed Sani Abacha, Doraville Properties Corporation, Rayville International, S.A., Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited, Mecosta Securities, Inc., Ridley Group Limited, The Ridley Trust, Blue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd., and Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd. at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in the British Virgin Islands by Kenneth Krys and Christopher Stride, as the Foreign Representatives of Fairfield Sentry Limited, Fairfield Sigma Limited, and Fairfield Lambda Limited, at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Petition In the Matter of K2 Corporation at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Writ of Summons in the case of ABN Amro Bank NV, Commerzbank AG, Filiale Luxembourg, Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, Calyon, Landsbanki Islands HF, and The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc v. HSH Cayman I GP Ltd., HSH Cayman II Ltd., HSH Cayman V GP Ltd., HSH Coinvest (Cayman) GP Ltd., and JCF HSH (DE) GP LP at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.