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EXCLUSIVE Liquidators in Ponzi scheme target Russian fraudster’s expat wife in Alicante

By Walter Finch

LIQUIDATORS attempting to recover €40 million missing in a giant crypto fraud are zeroing in on the expat wife of one of the chief suspects. Gibraltar courts are trying to pin down Alicante resident Alla Babenko, 35, who is married to Globix executive Pavel Sidorov.

The Russian is now the subject of a disclosure order and will face public examination over her role in moving the unaccounted millions. Babenko claims she was kidnapped outside her El Campello villa by a gang of investors who her husband had allegedly ripped off via a giant Ponzi scheme.

Four individuals posing as police - including one female Russian acting as translator - allegedly attempted to seize Globix crypto accounts which had been put in Babenko’s name.

Yet somehow Sidorov managed to contact his lawyer, who alerted the po lice and the June 2022 kidnap at tempt was thwart ed with all four ar rested.

Judge Yeats grant ed the disclosure order against Babenko during a hearing in the Gibrlatar Supreme Court in which Globix bosses Damian Carreras and Sidorov finally made an appearance by video link. Carreras, 39, allegedly funnelled tens of millions in investors’ cash to his business partner’s wife. According to prosecutor Daniel Feetham KC, the shady manoeuvre has made Babenko ‘a key player’ in efforts to trace the missing millions. She has been given seven days to respond to the order or be held in contempt of court.

If she fails to comply, lawyers in Madrid will open proceedings in Spain, while liquidators are also working with a legal firm in Moscow, should