Neocom Systems did not come up at Mr. Manafort’s first trial, nor was it mentioned in the plea agreement he signed on Friday. But Rick Gates, a former employee who became the star witness for the prosecution, testified that Ukrainian oligarchs had paid millions of dollars to Mr. Manafort through an array of offshore companies with obscure names like Novirex, Firemax and Telmar. Yet the companies continued to be used in deals, and one, April Limited, still appears to be open for business, a corporate registry shows. One man identified in the Ukrainian media as a homeless Latvian named Erik Vanagels has been listed as the owner of hundreds of companies in Britain, Cyprus, Ireland, New Zealand, Panama and elsewhere. Companies in the network also helped finance the private zoo and sprawling estate of the former Ukrainian president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, who was the main client of Mr. Manafort.

Source: New York Times September 15, 2018 11:07 UTC