A Lithuanian-owned company is selling luxury cars in Russia, bypassing Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, according to an international investigation.
The joint investigation was carried out by journalists from Novaya Gazeta Evropa, OCCRP, IStories, Siena, and other projects.
Berg Auto Premium car showroom in Moscow offers a wide range of expensive cars which should be unavailable in Russia due to sanctions and a ban on luxury imports. These include the Tesla Cybertruck, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.
According to the investigation, these cars are imported to Russia via Kyrgyzstan, where they are often issued customs documents “remotely”.
Berg Auto Premium was founded by businessman Mark Berg. According to the investigation, he is a Lithuanian citizen also known by another name, Benas Gutkauskas.
On the website of the International Equestrian Federation, he is listed as a Lithuanian athlete participating in pole vaulting competitions. From open data, investigators found out that Gutkauskas has lived in Russia for a long time, obtained Russian citizenship and changed his name after 2022.
At the same time, according to the Lithuanian investigative journalism cente Siena, Gutkauskas retained his Lithuanian citizenship.
In Lithuania, Gutkauskas has been prosecuted three times for violence and hooliganism, including assault with a hockey stick.
Berg Auto Premium showroom was opened on October 7, 2023, and its website states that “borders do not exist for us”.
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