Moscow — Qahwa World
A large number of investors across different regions of Russia reported that the funds they injected — exceeding 1.5 billion rubles — into a coffee-related commercial project may have ended up in a non-transparent financial scheme.
According to the outlet Vesti, the affected investors said that the company that received these investments is now preparing to declare bankruptcy, while the project owner has been unreachable for more than a year.
The investors stated that they placed their money into the company Retail Group with the expectation of returns reaching up to 30%. Initially, payments were made on time, but by mid-last year delays began, and eventually all payouts stopped.
One investor said he personally visited the sales outlets and met with the project owner, which gave him the impression that the business was operating normally.
Retail Group, which began operating in 2019, traded coffee and tea and supplied related equipment. The project gained wide attention after being promoted by intermediaries and bloggers. Some of those affected said they learned about the company through online influencers.
A reporter managed to reach the company’s owner, Stanislav Bokov, by phone. Bokov said he is not hiding and did not intend to mislead investors, explaining that the business faced significant losses that led to legal proceedings and that the company is moving toward bankruptcy.
He added that communication with investors is still ongoing and that he does not intend to evade responsibility.
