The deal must receive a blessing from, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the United States.
The trade of the former Hartwall-arena, or the multi-purpose arena currently known as Helsinki Hall, has moved forward behind the scenes, three different sources tell Iltalehti.
The arena located in Ilmala, Helsinki, has been almost unused since the beginning of March.
However, the arena may get new owners in the first half of November at the latest.
The Helsinki arena is checked once a month to ensure that, for example, military equipment is not stored in its premises. The arena may get a new owner in the coming weeks. HARTWALL ARENA
– The buyer has already deposited a sum of money for the transaction. This work will be completed in the near future, says an experienced influencer in the sports world to Iltalehti.
– The store already exists and permits have been applied for. Among other things, British money is coming into the background. Of course, there are also Finnish parties involved, says an experienced politician.
The purchase price is rumored to be well over 40 million euros.
On exhaust panels
Gennadi Timtšenko has Finnish citizenship. The businessman is known to belong to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. PDO
Russian-Finns Gennadi Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg own 44.98 percent of all shares in the hall company. However, the two have voting power in the company.
Since Timchenko and Rotenberg are on the US embargo list and Timchenko is also on the EU embargo list, the arena trade is a complex entity.
That’s why the deal has lasted so long, even though willing buyers have been seen in the arena’s premises during the fall.
– For parties under EU sanctions, a sales license is issued by the competent authority, i.e. in our case the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When the national authority makes a decision on the matter, a notification to the EU is sufficient after that, explained the engagement council Vesa Rautiainen For Iltalehti at the end of August.
– The EU does not decide these matters above the national authorities, Rautiainen continued and spoke about the sales process at a general level.
The big role of the USA
Roman Rotenberg, who has lived in Finland for a long time, is an enthusiastic hockey player. PEKKA KARHUNEN/KL
Timchenko and Rotenberg must also contact the United States if they sell their assets.
– The entities that are on the US sanctions list must also receive approval for the sale from the local authorities, i.e. OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control).
– The Finnish authorities cannot promote the matter in any way. People have to be active themselves, Rautiainen said.
So Timchenko and Rotenberg must have been willing to sell the arena and ask for permission from the US authorities.
The US authorities hardly raised Vladimir Putin Timchenko, who is known as a banker, and Rotenberg’s request as the top of the list of directly handled matters.
It is worth considering whether the United States even wants to give the duo the special permission required to sell their assets. President Putin continues such a brutal war in Ukraine.
The goal of the sanctions is to make their targets uncomfortable, and the ultimate goal is to end the war in Ukraine.
In good condition
This is where it all started. Harry Harkimo sold the arena in 2013 to Russian-Finnish businessmen. JENNI GUEST
The Helsinki arena has always been well taken care of. It is a functional arena where the doors could be opened and the lights turned on in a very quick time.
At the same time, Helsinki would once again have a facility that meets international standards for concerts, ice hockey matches and other events.
It seems that something is about to happen in the near future.
– It may very well be ready in early November, the third party states.