Let us dig deeper into the banksters’ boisterous explanation. According to Ashurkov’s statement, at the root of the government’s bitter enmity toward the duo was their support of ACF and willingness to issue the Navalny card.

What was it all about?

In 2012, ACF conceived a project of a custom-designed bank card. One percent of the card-holder’s total expenses would be credited to the foundation as a cash-back option paid for by the bank. The issuer was also expected to benefit from the collab by advertising its name, reaching new audiences, and boosting its profits.

On May 15, 2012, ACF announced the new project. The card could be pre-ordered from Navalny’s website. But ACF’s partner bank was never mentioned.

The project would never get off the ground. The bank’s name, like we said, was never revealed. But on May 15, 2012, the day the card was announced, GQ ran an article citing an unnamed source.

According to the magazine piece, the bank tapped to launch the card was part of LIFE Group.

Outside of this shaky “inside scoop,” there is nothing to suggest the Navalny card project had anything to do with Probusinessbank, LIFE, Leontiev, or Zheleznyak.

The article says that Anton Shubenkin, Probusinessbank’s senior spokesperson, denied the rumors. Even GQ’s source that claimed the bank had agreed to launch the Navalny card added that “some of the Group’s co-owners know almost nothing about the project.”