Jade Dylacha Rostec. Gevorkyan's losing "lotto"? Who is Vagan Gevorkyan
The Center for Communal Services Company (CKS) is fighting for the position of a regional waste management operator in Chelyabinsk. And at the same time - with garbage. This was reported by the correspondent of The Moscow Post. The question is point-blank – either the CKS will work on the market, or the mayor's office will take care of garbage collection. Was the garbage collapse in Chelyabinsk provoked to redistribute the market? Could Sergei Chemezov be behind this?
The head of Rostec has been showing interest in garbage for a long time. Its subsidiary RT-Invest plans to build 4 waste plants in the Moscow region and one in Tatarstan. It is possible that the Chelyabinsk region was also interested in Sergei Chemezov. Fortunately, the occasion turned up. After the closure of the Chelyabinsk landfill, a garbage collapse occurred in the region.
For some reason, local operators began to boycott garbage collection. But the Magnitogorsk company TsKS appeared on the market, which undertook to solve the problem.
The authorities promised to do this before October 1, but, apparently, the company overestimated its strength. On October 2, the garbage collapse spread to Magnitogorsk, from which the Central Commissariat had to transfer part of the garbage trucks to Chelyabinsk.
The Governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Boris Dubrovsky, ordered to allocate another 20 million rubles from the regional budget for the fight against garbage. How many of them can CKS get?
And is the governor somehow connected with her? Dubrovsky came to the post of governor from Magnitogorsk, where he worked for 5 years as the sales director of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works.
The CKS company is owned by Vagan Gevorkyan and may be associated with Sergey Chemezov's Rostec. They already participated together in one project - the Trans-Baikal Mining Company (ZGK), which Chemezov may have transferred to Gevorkyan in the interests of his longtime friend, millionaire Vitaly Mashitsky.
The founders of Forb Gevorkyan and Mizyakin in April 2014 became shareholders of BTA-Kazan Bank. However, already in May, the bank came under reorganization. Did the arrival of new shareholders lead to this? It is very suspicious that two Moscow businessmen could invest in a bank that is on the verge of collapse. Moreover, Forb was engaged in providing support to small businesses at all stages of development. The company had hundreds of subsidiaries through which large business assets were bought up and resold. And this type of activity suggests that Forb could act in some of them as the vice-chairman, the holder of assets in someone's interests.
Jade passions of Gevorkyan?
The extraction of jade in Buryatia was carried out by the Evenk family and tribal community "Dylacha". In 2012, a hail of checks fell upon her -120 (!). It became clear that someone wanted to take over the enterprise. Soon the community was accused of mining in a place other than its own. After initiating a criminal case, the leaders of the community fled abroad. Did the situation resemble a raider takeover?
Rostec owned 51% of ZGK shares, and 48% belonged to Granit CJSC, which was owned by Forb. Suddenly, ZGK increased its authorized capital from 10 thousand rubles. up to 100 million rubles And CJSC "Granit" turned out to have 73.5% of the shares, while "Rostec" only 25.5%. Could Sergei Chemezov just give the company to Gevorkyan? Hardly.
Could Vitaly Mashitsky have received the ZGK from Gevorkyan?
Now the owner of ZGK is Adelit Holdings Limited from the British Virgin Islands, which do not disclose the beneficiaries of the companies. The same company is the main owner of JSC Zakamensk, which is engaged in the development of subsoil. Probably, such a transfer of an asset is a vivid example of the activities of Vagan Gevorkyan in the interests of third parties that may be associated with Sergei Chemezov.
The main contractors of Zakamensk are the Ministry of Natural Resources of Buryatia and the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia. The amount of contracts is almost 3 billion rubles. And how many of them can settle in the British Virgin Islands? Interestingly, ZGK itself has a profit for 2015 of as much as 1 million rubles. Prior to that, she had no profit at all. Nothing to say, an efficient company. All profits can go to the islands?
This is how Forbe apparently works. We received an asset, transferred it and ends up in the water.
King of the gambling business?
Vahan Gevorgyan is the real king of the gambling business. At least the official ones. JSC "State Sports Lotteries" (GSL) earned in 2016 22.9 billion rubles. Sportloto earned 194 million rubles in 2016.
The distribution of all lotteries was carried out by Stoloto Trade House, which earned 10.4 billion rubles. In May of this year, it was renamed into TC Center JSC. All three companies are located at the same address and are owned by Forb CJSC.
It is hard to believe that the lotteries, which are carried out only by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Sports, can belong to Vahan Gevorkyan. Can Sergey Chemezov really have anything to do with them? It would look more like the truth. Chemezov is omnipotent, and Gevorkyan is simply an executor of his will.
How was Gevorkyan "burned"?
The close collaboration between Gevorkyan and Sergei Chemezov may be evidenced by recent history in which both may be involved. Boris Savelyev, General Director of Prominvest Management Company, was charged with embezzlement in the amount of 70 million rubles. This money was allocated to clarify the application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to expand the territory of the Russian Federation in the Arctic by 1.2 million square meters. km. And the application did not need any clarification.
It turns out that Vagan Gevorkyan was behind Boris Savelyev. And the documents contained in the application were a state secret. And now an enterprising businessman can be accused of a state crime. Did they really decide to frame Gevorkyan like this? Apparently, they whispered in your ear that you can earn money out of the blue. And he fell for it? Could Sergey Chemezov be behind this, who probably had to get rid of Vagan Gevorkyan?
The liquidation of the garbage collapse in Chelyabinsk can be dealt with without Gevorkyan. The scheme is already clear. When CKS becomes a regional waste operator, it could be taken over by someone in the British Virgin Islands. Can Gevorkyan go to places not so remote? Zitz chairmen in his place can always be found.
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Director General of Prominvest Management Company Boris Savelyev stole 70 million rubles? They were allocated to clarify the application, which did not need it. Was businessman Vagan Gevorkyan behind Savelyev?
Boris Savelyev, CEO of Prominvest Management Company, was charged with embezzlement in the amount of 70 million rubles. This was reported by the correspondent of The Moscow Post. The money was allocated to clarify the application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to expand the territory of the Russian Federation in the Arctic by 1.2 million square meters. km.
Filed in 2015, the application did not need any clarification. Given that the case file contains documents containing state secrets, the case can be qualified as a state crime. Can businessman Vagan Gevorkyan, who is behind Savelyev, be accused of it?
Gevorkyan, apparently, is a gambler, because he owns the Stoloto lottery, which is a monopolist in the Russian market - 90% belongs to her. And the lottery itself belongs to TK Tsenr JSC, the founder of which is Vagan Gevorkyan's Forb CJSC. How did he manage to grab such a tasty piece of the Russian "scam"? Why would Gevorkyan be blessed with such happiness?
In 2012, two mysterious lottery deals took place in the gaming market. Toksana Holding, unknown to anyone, bought it from Sberbank for 1.9 billion rubles. Sportloto, and the unknown company ZAO Nero signed an agreement with the Ministry of Sports to hold Gosloto until 2020. Forb was the sole owner of Nero.
It was in 2012 that Vitaly Mutko became the Minister of Sports, who is now Deputy Prime Minister in charge of construction. The organizer of lotteries in Russia is the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Sports. In 2012, the position of Minister of Finance was held by Anton Siluanov, who is now also Deputy Prime Minister. Is it possible that the entire lottery business in the country is supervised by two deputy prime ministers? But what relation can Vagan Gevorkyan have to them?
Rumor has it that the beneficiary of the lottery companies was Armen Sarkisyan, who was married to the daughter of the former vice-mayor of Moscow, Joseph Ordzhonikidze, who until 2007 was in charge of the gambling and hotel business in Moscow. Ordzhonikidze has been working in the government since 1990. Could he be connected with criminal structures at that dashing time? Is it possible that Vahan Gevorkyan is one of their representatives?
In 2013, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov ordered the development of a new law banning private lotteries, which was to come into force in 2014. The motivation noted that the lottery market in Russia was wild and criminalized. Instead of an income of 10 billion rubles. the budget received 1 billion rubles. I wonder how much Igor Shuvalov could get from the gambling bigwigs for cleaning up the market? And does Shuvalov have anything to do with him now?
Can Igor Shuvalov "protect" the gambling business in Russia?
In 2016, the established State Sports Lotteries JSC has already earned 22.9 billion rubles. against 3.8 billion rubles. in 2013. This company was the largest operator of state lotteries. Sportloto earned 194 billion rubles in 2016. And all the lotteries were distributed by Stoloto Trade House, which earned 10.4 billion rubles in the same year. It was renamed in May of this year to TC Center JSC. All three companies are located at the same address - in Avilon Plaza. And allegedly controlled by Armen Sarkissian. However, they are all owned by Forb CJSC.
So who is the real owner of the gambling business in Russia, who conducts state lotteries? It is possible that Armen Sarkissian is just a front, and the real owners may be representatives of criminal structures. It is, of course, difficult to prove this. However, for example, it's no secret to anyone that in America the mafia ran the gambling business all the time. Why should things be different in Russia?
In 2016 alone, lotteries brought in more than 30 billion rubles. in year. I wonder how many of them went to the Ministry of Industry and Economics and the Ministry of Economics? And can Igor Shuvalov, who apparently oversaw the gambling business at that time, have any share? And what is the general name of the organizers of a business in which the interests of government officials and, possibly, representatives of the criminal world could intertwine?
If we assume that Vagan Gevorkyan is connected with high-ranking officials, then the story of the clarification of the application appears in a completely different light. Perhaps one of the officials gave Gevorkyan a tip on this topic. Type from scratch, you can cut down 70 million rubles. The application did not need any clarification. Gevorkyan himself did not draw himself, but left traces of his connection with Saveyev. And if the investigators are interested in this story, they will easily find them.
Prominvest Management Company was liquidated on April 20, and Gazinvest Management Company on July 9. Someone was clearly covering their tracks. Will they lead to Vahan Gevorkyan? And from him, perhaps, to high-ranking officials. From whom else could Gevorkyan obtain information related to state secrets? In this situation, it is no longer the police who have to wait for guests, but the special services. So this time Gevorkyan obviously played the wrong lotto.
Rubbish loss of Gevorkyan?
Probably, it is not difficult to guess which circles representatives can hold the points where state lottery machines are located, which, however, are not much different from ordinary slot machines. There are places like this in every city. Therefore, is it any wonder that the Center for Communal Service (CKS) from Magnitogorsk suddenly took a dominant position in the waste distribution market of the Chelyabinsk region. It is strange, but representatives of criminal structures are engaged in the garbage business, as well as gambling, all over the world. Apparently, money does not smell.
Traces here led to Gevorkyan. Yes, he is ubiquitous! The Chelyabinsk OFAS became interested in the activities of the CKS, which decided to restore order in the market after the closure of the Chelyabinsk landfill. Is it possible that Gevorkyan can also engage in the garbage business in alliance with regional officials?
For example, there is a very clear connection between the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Boris Dubrovsky, and Magnitogorsk, where Dubrovsky worked for 5 years as the sales director of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. Oddly enough, criminal circles have always gravitated towards metal. Although this, of course, does not prove in any way the connection between Dubrovsky and Gevorkyan.
Jade redistribution?
In 2012, the Public Chamber of Russia discussed the conflict with the Evenk family and tribal community "Dylacha", which mined jade in Buryatia. For the year she had 120 checks, which revealed nothing. And this gave reason to think that someone wants to capture the prey.
Soon, the community was accused of mining jade not in its own area. After that, a criminal case was initiated against unidentified persons. However, this was enough for the leaders of the community to hide abroad. Apparently, in order not to suddenly turn into established persons. Was it a classic "raider" capture?
In 2013, the Trans-Baikal Mining Company (ZGK), 51% owned by Rostec and 48% by CJSC Granit, entered the market. Could Sergei Chemezov's state corporation participate in a possible “squeezing out” of the enterprise?
Could Sergey Chemezov have appointed Gevorkyan as a "watchman"?
Subsequently, ZGK increased its authorized capital from 10 thousand rubles. up to 100 million rubles and Rostec had only 25.5% of the company left, and 73.5% went to CJSC Granit, which was owned by CJSC Forb. Why did the state corporation and the all-powerful Sergei Chemezov give up their share? And why does the owner of lotteries and garbage business need jade mining, a business with which he - Gevrokyan hardly knows what to do.
There can be only one version here - Vagan Gevorkyan acted in the interests of some structures and Sergei Chemezov. That is, the head of Rostec simply handed the business over to Gevorkyan so as not to reveal the true beneficiaries. One of them, for example, could be dollar millionaire Vitaly Mashchitsky, who has been friends with Sergei Chemezov for 40 years.
Or maybe in his other businesses, Vagan Gevorkyan is not an independent figure? Who can stand behind him? Officials or crime bosses? Or perhaps both? Be that as it may, but with the application, Gevorkyan got a clear puncture. Which can cost him all the businesses at once.
Director General of Prominvest Management Company Boris Savelyev stole 70 million rubles? They were allocated to clarify the application, which did not need it. Was businessman Vagan Gevorkyan behind Savelyev?
Boris Savelyev, CEO of Prominvest Management Company, was charged with embezzlement in the amount of 70 million rubles. This was reported by the correspondent of The Moscow Post. The money was allocated to clarify the application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to expand the territory of the Russian Federation in the Arctic by 1.2 million square meters. km.
Filed in 2015, the application did not need any clarification. Given that the case file contains documents containing state secrets, the case can be qualified as a state crime. Can businessman Vagan Gevorkyan, who is behind Savelyev, be accused of it?
Gevorkyan, apparently, is a gambler, because he owns the Stoloto lottery, which is a monopolist in the Russian market - 90% belongs to her. And the lottery itself belongs to TK Tsenr JSC, the founder of which is Vagan Gevorkyan's Forb CJSC. How did he manage to grab such a tidbit of the Russian "scam"? Why would Gevorkyan get such happiness?
In 2012, two mysterious lottery deals took place in the gaming market. Toksana Holding, unknown to anyone, bought it from Sberbank for 1.9 billion rubles. "Sportloto", and the unknown company CJSC "Nero" signed an agreement with the Ministry of Sports to hold "Gosloto" until 2020. The sole owner of "Nero" was "Forb".
It was in 2012 that Vitaly Mutko became the Minister of Sports, who is now Deputy Prime Minister in charge of construction. The organizer of lotteries in Russia is the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Sports. In 2012, the position of Minister of Finance was held by Anton Siluanov, who is now also Deputy Prime Minister. Is it possible that the entire lottery business in the country is supervised by two deputy prime ministers? But what relation can Vagan Gevorkyan have to them?
Rumor has it that the beneficiary of the lottery companies was Armen Sarkisyan, who was married to the daughter of the former vice-mayor of Moscow, Joseph Ordzhonikidze, who until 2007 was in charge of the gambling and hotel business in Moscow. Ordzhonikidze has been working in the government since 1990. Could he be connected with criminal structures at that dashing time? Is it possible that Vahan Gevorkyan is one of their representatives?
In 2013, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov ordered the development of a new law banning private lotteries, which was to come into force in 2014. The motivation noted that the lottery market in Russia was wild and criminalized. Instead of an income of 10 billion rubles. the budget received 1 billion rubles. I wonder how much Igor Shuvalov could get from the gambling bigwigs for cleaning up the market? And does Shuvalov have anything to do with him now?
Can Igor Shuvalov "protect" the gambling business in Russia?
In 2016, the established State Sports Lotteries JSC has already earned 22.9 billion rubles. against 3.8 billion rubles. in 2013. This company was the largest operator of state lotteries. Sportloto earned 194 billion rubles in 2016. And all the lotteries were distributed by Stoloto Trade House, which earned 10.4 billion rubles in the same year. It was renamed in May of this year to TC Center JSC. All three companies are located at the same address - in Avilon Plaza. And they are allegedly controlled by Armen Sarkesyan. However, they all belong to Forb CJSC.
So who is the real owner of the gambling business in Russia, who conducts state lotteries? It is possible that Armen Sarkissian is just a front, and the real owners may be representatives of criminal structures. It is, of course, difficult to prove this. However, for example, it's no secret to anyone that in America the mafia ran the gambling business all the time. Why should things be different in Russia?
In 2016 alone, lotteries brought in more than 30 billion rubles. in year. I wonder how many of them went to the Ministry of Industry and Economics and the Ministry of Economics? And can Igor Shuvalov, who apparently oversaw the gambling business at that time, have any share? And what is the general name of the organizers of a business in which the interests of government officials and, possibly, representatives of the criminal world could intertwine?
If we assume that Vagan Gevorkyan is connected with high-ranking officials, then the story of the clarification of the application appears in a completely different light. Perhaps one of the officials gave Gevorkyan a tip on this topic. Type from scratch, you can cut down 70 million rubles. The application did not need any clarification. Gevorkyan himself did not draw himself, but left traces of his connection with Saveyev. And if the investigators are interested in this story, they will easily find them.
Prominvest Management Company was liquidated on April 20, and Gazinvest Management Company - on July 9. Someone was clearly covering their tracks. Will they lead to Vahan Gevorkyan? And from him, perhaps, to high-ranking officials. From whom else could Gevorkyan obtain information related to state secrets? In this situation, it is no longer the police who have to wait for guests, but the special services. So this time Gevorkyan obviously played the wrong lotto.
Rubbish loss of Gevorkyan?
Probably, it is not difficult to guess which circles representatives can hold the points where state lottery machines are located, which, however, are not much different from ordinary slot machines. There are places like this in every city. Therefore, is it any wonder that the Center for Communal Service (CKS) from Magnitogorsk suddenly took a dominant position in the waste distribution market of the Chelyabinsk region. It is strange, but representatives of criminal structures are engaged in the garbage business, as well as gambling, all over the world. Apparently, money does not smell.
Traces here led to Gevorkyan. Yes, he is ubiquitous! The Chelyabinsk OFAS became interested in the activities of the CKS, which decided to restore order in the market after the closure of the Chelyabinsk landfill. Is it possible that Gevorkyan can also engage in the garbage business in alliance with regional officials?
For example, there is a very clear connection between the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Boris Dubrovsky, and Magnitogorsk, where Dubrovsky worked for 5 years as the sales director of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. Oddly enough, criminal circles have always gravitated towards metal. Although this, of course, does not prove in any way the connection between Dubrovsky and Gevorkyan.
Jade redistribution?
In 2012, the Public Chamber of Russia discussed the conflict with the Evenk family and tribal community "Dylacha", which mined jade in Buryatia. For the year she had 120 checks, which revealed nothing. And this gave reason to think that someone wants to capture the prey.
Soon, the community was accused of mining jade not in its own area. After that, a criminal case was initiated against unidentified persons. However, this was enough for the leaders of the community to hide abroad. Apparently, in order not to suddenly turn into established persons. Was it a classic "raider" capture?
In 2013, the Trans-Baikal Mining Company (ZGK) entered the market, 51% of which is owned by Rostec, and 48% by CJSC Granit. Could Sergei Chemezov's state corporation participate in a possible "squeezing out" of the enterprise?
Could Sergey Chemezov appoint Gevorkyan as "watchman"?
Subsequently, ZGK increased its authorized capital from 10 thousand rubles. up to 100 million rubles and Rostec had only 25.5% of the company left, and 73.5% went to CJSC Granit, which was owned by CJSC Forb. Why did the state corporation and the all-powerful Sergei Chemezov give up their share? And why does the owner of lotteries and garbage business need jade mining, a business with which he - Gevrokyan hardly knows what to do.
For decades, the extraction and export of a valuable mineral was practically outside the legal field
“Gold has a price, but jade is priceless” - a Chinese proverb has a very specific applied meaning when it comes to the extraction and sale of this mineral. The Chinese believe that the stone has healing and even magical properties, and therefore they are ready to pay for it at prices above the market. More precisely, at black market prices. Russia could extract serious dividends from this whim of its neighbors, because on its territory there are large reserves of jade, concentrated in the Republic of Buryatia, just not far from the border with China. But over the course of many years, superprofits from the jade trade flowed to China, without tangible benefits both for the budget and for the small indigenous peoples, in the territory of whose historical settlement mining was carried out. Only now the state has formed a comprehensive policy on the jade issue and set about restoring order in the territory, which for a long time was a real "blank spot" from the point of view of the law.
In we talked about the fact that in Russia there is a whole export industry, which is almost completely outside the legal field, which means that it is in the zone of influence of near-criminal structures. It was about the extraction of jade. This stone is considered semi-precious in Russia, along with, for example, opal, turquoise or tourmaline. So, probably, it seemed from Moscow: a gem more, a gem less ... We should first deal with gas and oil, gold and nickel. And let them deal with jade in Buryatia.
But here, apparently, the magical properties of the mineral manifested themselves. Both local law enforcement officers, and republican officials from Rosnedra, and even the federal leadership of this department fell under their influence. How else can one explain the fact that for a long time they did not see the difference between folk craft and industrial production of semi-precious stone?
Back in the 90s of the last century, when the Soviet mining industry in Buryatia collapsed, and the trade of private traders with China, on the contrary, went uphill, in fact the only organization in the field of extraction and sale of jade in Buryatia was the family-clan Evenki community (SREO) " Dylacha is a non-profit organization created to support one of the indigenous peoples inhabiting Buryatia - the Evenks. Reindeer breeding, breeding of sled dogs and folk crafts - these are the main tasks prescribed in the charter of "Dylachi". And here are additional ones: the extraction of ores and sands of precious metals, as well as precious and semi-precious stones (except diamonds) and their wholesale trade. In the practical activities of Dylachi, the emphasis was placed on the extraction and sale of jade. The leadership of the community remembered the Evenks mainly in those cases when it needed to protect its interests in the public space. And so - I worked in the most comfortable conditions: a minimum of taxes, a maximum of net profit.
At the same time, the position of "Dylachi" was always actively supported by officials, for example, Vladimir Bavlov, who in the 90s led the Bauntovsky district of Buryatia (one of the largest jade deposits is located on its territory), and then made a career at the federal level, first becoming an adviser, and subsequently Deputy Head of Rosnedra. It is not surprising that in all the conflicts that arose, the side of Dylacha was also taken by his actual subordinate, the head of the republican department of the federal agency, Georgy Yalovik. What can we say about local law enforcement officers in the rank of a district police officer. Well, he discovered, for example, a couple of hundred kilometers from the nearest settlement a huge production site equipped with the most modern technology, where, without stopping, the development of a jade deposit is being carried out - and then what? Try to arrest everyone, risking conflict with the informal security service, checking whether there are people with criminal experience in it who are ready to use weapons if necessary?
It seemed that there would be no end to this freemen, but a player appeared on the jade platform, which everyone seems to have forgotten about - the state.
A drop sharpens a stone
The first large-scale special operation to stop illegal jade mining in Buryatia was carried out in autumn 2012. Based on its results, the Republican Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case against unidentified persons from among the leaders of Dylacha. According to investigators, the suspects organized the illegal mining of jade on the territory of the Kavokta deposit. From the point of view of the Criminal Code, this was qualified as theft, and on an especially large scale (20 tons of illegally mined stone were valued at 600 million rubles). An uncomplicated mechanism for committing the crime was also established: “The geographical coordinates of the site provided to the community were falsified in the licensing and permit documents for the use of subsoil, which allowed the defendants to develop deposits in another territory under the guise of legal mining.”
Then, in September 2012, the police managed to detain the crime boss Ilshat Sadykov (aka Sadyk), who, according to the investigation, exercised “criminal control over the extraction and sale of the semi-precious stone jade in Buryatia.”
The actions of the security forces to decriminalize the extraction and export of jade were supported by the President of Buryatia Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn. It was based on the results of his appeal in August 2012 that the Federal Customs Service issued an order to establish a single post on the territory of the republic for declaring all jade exported from the country. It should be noted that back in 2010, the ex-head of the Federal Security Service of Buryatia, Nikitin, went to work just in the Federal Customs Service. A single customs post is one of the key elements in the formation of civilized rules of the game. After all, the lion's share of the mined jade is exported, and now those who want to sell the semi-precious stone to Chinese partners will have to somehow justify its legal origin. Well, or try to export it to a neighboring country illegally, with all the ensuing consequences.
The logical strengthening of the federal center was the almost simultaneous change of leaders of the republican FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In November 2013, the republican FSB was headed by Kazbek Khodov, and in March 2014, Vladimir Putin dismissed the Minister of Internal Affairs of Buryatia, Alexander Zaichenko. The appointment of a new Minister of Internal Affairs of Buryatia is expected in the near future.
But the war, as you know, is not won by the generals, therefore, important, although not so noticeable from Moscow, changes took place “on the ground”. A permanent police stronghold was created on the Bauntovsky 1-2 licensed area, and, as they say, not on paper: law enforcement officers have the necessary powers, material and technical support and personnel. And in 2014, its own department of internal affairs was formed in the Bauntovsky district.
As a result, since the beginning of the year, police officers have seized 6,515 kg of jade from illegal circulation, seized and immobilized 12 pieces of equipment.
Many "black diggers" migrated from the Bauntovsky region to the Okinsky region, where there are unallocated jade deposits. The struggle for "no one's" stone has become serious: on February 5, 2014, a shootout took place 70 kilometers from the village of Samart Okinsky, two people were killed. Obviously, the police presence needs to be strengthened in all areas where there are jade deposits.
Fight for the subsoil
However, the security forces alone cannot solve the problem by definition. The time of "black diggers" has passed, but who will replace them? After all, the extraction of jade itself is not of a criminal nature, it is only important to find investors who are ready to conduct it in the legal field, in compliance with the interests of the state.
Back in 2011, Rosnedra tried to distribute licenses for the development of deposits through auctions, but it turned out that it was easy to disrupt the auctions held in this way. The technology is simple: several interconnected firms are declared for the auction, they play consistently to increase the price, thus cutting off bona fide competitors: after all, within the framework of the auction, the price is not only the main, but also the only criterion for choosing the winner. It is simply impossible to compete with fake "daisies" promising outrageous payments in this scheme. And they declare obviously impossible conditions because their real task is not to win, but to disrupt the auction.
Here is how it worked in Buryatia. According to the results of the auction held in April 2011, the winner, Transit LLC, undertook to pay more than 26.5 billion rubles for the right to develop the two most promising sites, Kavokta and Kavokta-2; two other winners also paid more than a billion rubles for some plots, and for three they promised to fork out 58 billion at once. But the budget did not see this money, because due to the imperfection of the legislation, no obligations, except for the payment of a deposit of 200-400 thousand rubles, do not bear the front participants in the auction.
Therefore, in 2012, it was decided to move from an auction to a competition: this scheme makes it possible to evaluate participants not only in terms of financial promises, but also in terms of specific plans for their work at the field.
“Dylacha” entered the competition in the Bauntovsky district, and, as one might assume, it was eventually thwarted by her efforts, and the competition documentation was destroyed (which served as the basis for initiating a criminal case). As a result, the community continued to extract jade on the basis of a valid license (the question of where it came from is worth asking the already mentioned Bavlov and Yalovik). But, as the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation established, Dylacha systematically violated the requirements of the legislation in the field of subsoil use, about which the supervisory agency notified Rosnedra back in the summer of last year. And six months later, the license issued to the community was suspended and then completely terminated. And now Dylacha itself has actually been liquidated, since the courts supported the claim of the republican prosecutor's office. Indeed, how long can one engage in industrial mining and wholesale of jade instead of reindeer breeding?
new owner
Help "New"The Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise (ZGRP LLC) was established specifically to create a modern production complex in Buryatia for the extraction and processing of jade raw materials and the production of high value-added jade products on site. The ownership structure is not a secret: 51% in LLC ZGRP belongs to the state corporation Rostekhnologii, 48% belongs to CJSC Granit. In turn, 100% of CJSC Granit is owned by CJSC AKB Novikombank through LLC Novikom Consult. At the same time, 17.6% of Novikombank belongs to Russian Technologies. It is assumed that the state corporation will increase its shareholding in the bank to a controlling one by mid-2014. The cooperation agreement, which determines the further steps of the partners, was signed by the shareholders of Novikombank. Novikombank is one of the 40 largest Russian banks. Assets as of January 1, 2014 amount to 170 billion rubles. |
So, "Dylacha" went down in history. But did this mean that the development of jade deposits in the Republic of Buryatia had to stop altogether?
Rosnedra officials came to the conclusion that it would be possible to appoint a temporary operator of the deposit before a new tender was held, and appointed Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise LLC for this role. What was dictated by their choice and what kind of company?
Characteristic materials immediately began to appear in the Trans-Baikal (and not only) media: ZGRP, they say, is a banal one-day affair, behind which are almost criminal authorities. But the reality is quite consistent with the general trend towards a comprehensive return of the state to the jade business. In fact, ZGRP LLC is a subsidiary of the Russian Technologies State Corporation ( see help "New").
The logic is simple and clear: since adequate private investors did not come to the tenders, it is necessary to entrust the solution of the problem to a structure that directly implements the interests of the state. There is no legal conflict here: in October 2013, the Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise won the tender for the development of the Bauntovsky 1-2 site and soon received a license. And one should not be surprised at his own possible victories in tenders for other fields, because, unlike fictitious participants in auctions, ZGRP offers not only money, but also concrete plans for a qualitative change in the situation.
Recall, for example, what was Dylacha supposed to do? Reindeer breeding. The deer is, indeed, the most important element of the Evenks' self-identification, without this animal there is no people. But what did the Buryat Evenki get from Dylacha? A promise to increase the herd from 300 to 500 heads (despite the fact that four decades ago the population of Buryat deer consisted of 3,000 heads). The Zabaykalsky Mining Enterprise has already bought a herd of deer, although its formal task is to make a profit, and not at all to care for the interests of the indigenous peoples of Buryatia. In addition, the Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise has already signed an agreement with the administration of the Bauntovsky Evenki District on the socio-economic development of this area. This is the state approach: socially significant programs are not declared, they are carried out. And it's not just about deer: part of the profits of ZGRP, as stated, will be spent on solving social problems of local residents.
This is important not only for ethnic Evenks, but also for all residents of the jade-bearing regions of Buryatia. After all, where there is a responsible owner, there are also legal jobs that have not been heard of here for decades. This includes taxes to the local budget, which the "black diggers" actually robbed.
ZGRP also plans to switch from the banal extraction of jade raw materials exclusively for export to its processing in Russia. It is clear that the final buyers will still be the Chinese. But if you invite Chinese craftsmen to Russia and set up production with high added value with their help, both budgets of all levels and local residents will benefit from this.
Since a new owner has come to the site, it is important that he is not focused solely on skimming. After all, always with the extraction of minerals, there is an opportunity to extract the best reserves - due to the fact that everything else remains in the mines and in the dumps. Obviously, all the former subsoil users in Buryatia acted according to this scheme. A subsidiary of Russian Technologies intends to fully use the potential given by nature.
Obviously, after a long period of timelessness and mismanagement, any changes in the situation for the better will be gradual, and it will be possible to give them a comprehensive assessment in a few years. But order is always better than chaos, and the one who can demonstrate this in practice will become the new "jade king."
Alexey BARINOV
In December 2015, the Supervisory Board of the state corporation Rostec decided that the asset collection phase of the holding was completed and it was time for a phase of active growth. The Board adopted a strategy to increase annual revenue from $25 billion to $78 billion by 2025 (11% CAGR). Investments are needed to implement ambitious plans, and it is pointless to rely on Western investors in the face of sanctions, so cooperation with Russian partners, especially proven ones, such as Vitaly Maschitsky, becomes very relevant for Rostec.
Belokamennaya Buryatia
On a sunny day on October 4, 2012, two Mi-8 helicopters landed at the Medvezhiy site of the Kavokta jade deposit in the Republic of Buryatia. Without waiting for the propellers to stop, about three dozen people in camouflage and with Kalashnikov assault rifles jumped out of the cars. Armed fighters cordoned off the site, the frightened employees were herded into a workers' settlement and locked in a change house. Jade mining at Medvezhye, 800 km from Ulan-Ude, was carried out by the Evenk community "Dylacha", its leaders were quickly explained that investigative measures in the case of the theft of valuable ornamental stone were carried out by operatives of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs from Moscow with the support of local security forces. At the same time, searches were carried out in the office and warehouses of Dylachi in Ulan-Ude, documents, electronic media, and the jade itself were confiscated. Andrey Khokhlov, chief geologist of the Russian Jade Company, accompanied the security forces at the Medvezhiy site. “If you find a good piece in the river, then the price can be up to $15,000 per kg,” he explained, pointing to a pile of white jade in the Dylachi warehouse.
More than 90% of the reserves of Russian jade are located in Buryatia, the Evenk community worked under a 20-year license obtained in 1997 at the Kavokta deposit with the most valuable white jade. In 2012, seven companies were engaged in stone mining, all the jade mined was exported to China. Often the documents indicated underestimated prices. The concept for the development of the jade industry in the Republic of Buryatia for 2009-2011 stated that when exporting jade, companies declare a price of $6-10 per kg, while the actual price fluctuates greatly - from $60 to $1000, depending on the quality of the stone. The total volume of Buryat jade sales was estimated at 16 billion rubles per year with the potential to double every two years.
“These two mountains along the banks of the Kavokta River are almost entirely made of stone,” Khokhlov explained, showing the hills surrounding the working settlement of Medvezhye. Having learned the cost of the stone, the security forces who helped the workers load the jade into helicopters became much more accurate. Under the pretext of seizing material evidence in the theft case, according to the estimates of the leadership of the Dylacha community, about 1000 tons of white jade worth hundreds of millions of dollars were taken from their warehouses in Medvezhye and Ulan-Ude, the stone ended up in the warehouses of the Russian Jade Company . The general director of this company was the former head of the Federal Security Service for Buryatia, Valery Khalanov, and the co-owners were two Cypriot offshores, one Panamanian and the state corporation Rostekhnologii (now Rostec) with a share of 24.9%.
The Evenk community "Dylacha" was accused of mining jade outside its area and a criminal case was opened against unidentified persons about the theft of 20 tons of jade for 600 million rubles. “From the very beginning it was clear that this case would not end with anything,” said lawyer Ayur Dubdanov, who represented the interests of Dylacha. - For a long time they kept everyone, but no one was put on the wanted list, no one was charged. The main task was to take out the already mined jade from the warehouses.” And what about the Evenki community? The founders of Dylacha, brother and sister Andrei and Tatyana Turakina, fled abroad, communicated with lawyers only by phone through intermediaries and changed their defense strategy all the time, and in the end they stepped aside altogether. “It seems that they somehow agreed with them,” says Dubdanov.
On October 10, 2012, the head of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, sent an appeal to Vladimir Putin, in which he spoke about the results of the operation carried out in Buryatia and the general situation with jade mining in Russia.
“In Buryatia in 2011, 1,150 tons were legally mined, of which 850 tons were exported to China. The basis of the Russian jade industry is reserves and resources located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia,” Chemezov wrote. “Unfortunately, at present, illegal, predatory mining of raw materials is carried out at jade stone deposits in Buryatia, illegal methods of sale with subsequent smuggling of the mineral to China are widespread.” The letter also provides an estimate of the annual volume of jade illegally exported to China - 700 tons. Chemezov suggested developing and implementing measures to decriminalize the jade industry and asked to give appropriate instructions to the Prosecutor General's Office, the FSB, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Federal Customs Service of Russia. Putin agreed with the proposals. In 2014, 91 criminal cases were initiated on the fact of the illegal export of stone (in 2013 - 82 cases).
In May 2015, a jade processing factory was opened in Ulan-Ude, it receives stone from the Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise (ZGRP), this company received a license to develop the Kavokta deposit. The new enterprise was inspected by a gray-haired 60-year-old man in a formal suit. “A year and a half ago, Zabaikalskoe Mining Enterprise LLC was established, I am the chairman of the board of directors,” the guest from Moscow introduced himself and immediately specified: “The enterprise was created with the participation of the Rostec state corporation.
It was Vitaly Maschitsky, president and founder of Vi Holding and chairman of the board of directors of Vimetco, through which he controls Chinese aluminum producer Henan Zhongfu Industry Co and Romanian Alro. Born in Irkutsk, the entrepreneur made his fortune in the 1990s in timber and oil operations, in 2016 Forbes estimated his fortune at $500 million. Mashchitsky and Chemezov have known each other for more than 40 years. The head of Rostec calls Mashchitsky an "effective partner."
In 2013, the share of Rostec in the Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise was 51%. In the middle of the next year, it dropped to 25.5%, the place of registration of the company changed from Irkutsk to Ulan-Ude, and the form of ownership changed from LLC to JSC. According to SPARK-Interfax, the Forb law firm from Moscow owns 73.5% of ZGRP, but Forb co-owner Vagan Gevorkyan conveyed through his secretary that this stake had already been sold, without naming a buyer. “15 companies work with jade, ZGRP is one of them. It has private investors, we know them, - says Vitaly Mashchitsky in an interview with Forbes. “I don’t participate in this company with capital yet.”
Another 1% of ZGRP is owned by the general director of the company Alexander Voronkov. Until 2009, he headed the Sibmix International timber industry company from Irkutsk, Mashchitsky was one of its founders. In the Irkutsk region, he is known as a very authoritative person, capable of solving the most complex problems. “When we had assets in the Irkutsk region, it was necessary to establish good contact with the local administration, I was told that it was better to contact Vitaly Lvovich. He introduced me to the governor, immediately they began to communicate constructively with him, - says Timofey Kurgin, managing partner of the Russian Forest Group. He did it for free. Vitaly Lvovich is an integral and far-sighted person, he can talk to anyone, clearly explaining his position.
The shareholders invested 1.5 billion rubles in the deposit and jade processing factory. “We built an ultra-modern village, prefabricated houses made of timber instead of shacks, a gym, billiards, a center for personal services, a bathhouse, and purchased modern equipment. We built a modern jade processing factory on an industrial scale,” says Mashchitsky. The entrepreneur does not know anything about the problems and the departure of the former subsoil users of the Kavokta deposit abroad: “Everything happened to them before I arrived.”
The entrepreneur considers all talk about the fabulous cost of jade a legend. He says that, according to the state balance sheet, as of January 1, 2014, the output of high-quality jade is only 14.7%, including 10.8% of ornamental and 3.9% of jewelry. “These 3.9% can cost both $3,000 and $10,000, and everything else costs incommensurably less,” Mashchitsky assures.
According to SPARK-Interfax, the revenue of the Zabaikalsky Mining Enterprise in 2014 amounted to 276 million rubles, the net loss was 77 million rubles. “It is necessary not only to mine jade, but also to process it, create our own national jade industry and promote the finished product to the Chinese market,” Mashchitsky said during a visit to Ulan-Ude. The thought is not new. “The Evenk community also tried to process jade, but it was pointless - for the Chinese, this stone is sacred, they will buy products from it, only made by Chinese craftsmen in China,” says Pavel Sulyandziga, Chairman of the Board of the International Fund for the Development of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East "Batani".
Mashchitsky says that Chinese specialists work at the jade processing factory, with Russian apprentices learning from them. With his own participation in the jade business, the entrepreneur is still being determined: “I am still considering my interests in this direction, they are much wider given our presence in China - we have processing facilities and factories there. But these are just plans for now.”
Amber in development
On April 28, 2012, the board of the Accounts Chamber of Russia discussed the results of the audit of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine. More than 90% of the world's proven amber reserves are concentrated on the territory of the Kaliningrad region, the auditors noted, the plant is the only organization that has a license for its extraction, but the company's share in exports does not exceed 16%, the main volumes of amber are exported using gray schemes through intermediaries. The Accounts Chamber spoke about the results of the audit in a letter to the President of Russia and in appeals to the Prosecutor General's Office and the FSB of Russia, and in the summer of 2012 a criminal case was initiated against the Kaliningrad businessman Viktor Bogdan, whose firms were the main buyers and sellers of the amber plant's products.
Bogdan and his partners were accused of attempting to illegally refund VAT for 350 million rubles in operations involving the export of amber. In the course of investigative actions, 69 tons of amber worth several tens of billions of rubles were seized and placed in storage. Bogdan fled to Poland. In 2014, he was detained by Polish law enforcement agencies, and in November 2015, the Polish Ministry of Justice decided not to extradite him to Russia. In March 2015, a case was initiated in Kaliningrad on the theft of amber seized from Bogdan. According to law enforcement agencies, out of 69 tons of amber seized from Bogdan's firms, more than 5 tons were stolen. As stated in a press release from the Investigative Committee for the Kaliningrad Region, "the attackers stole an expensive stone, replacing it with fine amber, waste and trimmings." Bogdan's lawyers assure that much more has been stolen.
What about the amber factory? In February 2013, at a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Property Management Agency were instructed to find a strategic investor for the amber industry. Five months later, Mikhail Zatsepin, a native of the KGB of the USSR, became the head of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, in agreement with the Ministry of Finance and Rostec.
By the decree of the President of the State Unitary Enterprise "Kaliningrad Amber Plant" in January 2014, it was transformed into a public company and transferred to Rostec. With the extraction of 290 tons of raw amber, the plant's revenue in 2013 was about 900 million rubles, net profit - about 43 million rubles. In March 2015, the management of the plant met with the governor of the Kaliningrad region Nikolai Tsukanov. Together with Zatsepin, Vitaly Mashchitsky, the new chairman of the board of directors of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, also came to the meeting. “Sergey Chemezov called me, we have known each other and have been friends since childhood, he said that there is such a task, it is difficult,” Vitaly Mashchitsky explains his appearance in the amber industry. - I help the state, I was invited as a specialist in industry and the market. I studied the issue and agreed, I decided that everything was solved. In a couple of years, you will not recognize either the plant or the industry.”
One of the main tasks Maschitsky called the establishment of market prices for amber. “For many years, the main problem of the plant, which at that time was a federal state-owned enterprise, was its prices, which are four to five times lower than the market ones,” the entrepreneur explains. - This difference flowed into certain pockets, the company did not receive a penny of investment.
In the fall of 2015, the Kaliningrad Amber Plant held the first open auction, during which the initial price of amber soared 6.5 times to 140,000 rubles per kilogram. And, focusing on the auction, the plant formed new selling prices. “We found some entrepreneur who bought 5 kg of amber at exorbitant prices, and the prices of the entire plant with a production of 300 tons are based on this,” Vyacheslav Darwin, head of the Darwin jewelry studio, is surprised. “At such prices, no one needs amber. The black market is full of offers, while they sell amber according to the European standard, and at the plant you will get it along with the garbage, ”says another entrepreneur who worked with the plant.
According to the government of the Kaliningrad region, in 2015, 150 enterprises were engaged in the processing and sale of amber in the region. With the arrival of Rostec at the plant, many of them had problems with legal raw materials, even reaching rallies. “None of the market participants knew what would happen, so there was a stir at the first auction. We tested the market price, showed that it differs many times from the prices that were previously at the plant. But the market participants themselves raised the price, can you be offended by the market?” - Vitaly Maschitsky is surprised.
In January 2016, the St. Petersburg Exchange held the second amber auction. 224 lots were put up for auction, but only 21 lots were sold for a total of 16 million rubles, 15 kg for 1.67 million rubles was purchased by the Yantarny Dom company (the price of 1 kg is 111,333 rubles). The owner of the Amber House is Dmitry Rodin, he also owns 40% of the Russian Jade Company registered in Buryatia, Rostec is no longer among its shareholders.
According to Darwin, local entrepreneurs are talking about large purchases of equipment for sorting and polishing amber, about the upcoming change of partners of the amber plant. “Everything is leading to the fact that sooner or later the plant will become private,” he said. - We have already issued three private licenses for exploration and exploration with subsequent extraction of amber. There will be a precedent for private extraction of amber, why then does the state need a plant?”
Will Vitaliy Maschitsky take part in the privatization of the Kaliningrad Amber Plant? “Probably, I will participate if it is, but I don’t think so,” the entrepreneur replies. “On a general basis, of course, but if I know more about this business and know how to work better, I think I will have certain advantages in terms of experience, and not other preferences.”
The revenue of the Kaliningrad Amber Plant in 2015 increased from 1 billion rubles to 1.3 billion, net profit - from 8 million rubles to 130 million rubles. “The situation at the plant was completely criminal. The President handed it over to Rostec and set the task of making the market transparent, says Vasily Brovko, director of communications and strategic research at Rostec. - Now there are auctions, and the market determines the cost of raw materials. Dealt with problems that are 20 years old. Vitaly Mashchitsky rebuilt everything as a manager.”
Now the management of the plant is looking, according to Maschitsky, "legitimate market mechanisms of how, on the one hand, to achieve market pricing, on the other hand, to provide all domestic and especially Kaliningrad processors with amber at affordable prices." The plant organized the sorting of amber according to international standards, attracted specialists from Lithuania and China, who advise it on the creation of an amber classifier and the organization of its processing using modern technologies. Only sorted amber will now be supplied to auctions, it was decided to move from test sales of small lots to wholesale sales. At the first auctions, only three tons were put up, now 80% of the production will go to auction with a uniform supply throughout the year. “We think that wholesale prices will give access to amber and domestic processors,” Mashchitsky said.
If the new sales strategy for 2016 is implemented, then, according to the forecast, it will increase the plant's revenue to 5 billion rubles, profit will grow to 2 billion rubles against 230 million in 2015.
The volume of production at the plant increased from 244 tons to 313 tons in 2015. Judging by the customs statistics, the new leadership failed to increase the legal export of amber. According to the Federal Customs Service, in 2013 Russia exported amber worth $46 million, in 2014 - $39 million. In 2015, it was exported $32 million, if you count at the auction price of 111,333 rubles per 1 kg, you get only 18 tons.
According to the International Trade Center, the volume of the world amber market in 2014 amounted to $1.3 billion. In April 2016, the management of Rostec announced that the general director of the Kaliningrad Amber Plant, Mikhail Zatsepin, had written a letter of resignation for family reasons.
But not only this resignation will add work to Mashchitsky. The Kaliningrad Amber Combine owns the Malyshevskoye deposit in the Sverdlovsk region, where beryllium, emeralds and other minerals were mined in Soviet times. “We are already doing it, but we have inherited a lot of problems, ranging from disputed ownership of fixed assets and facilities that were used by the plant under a lease agreement, and ending with the extraction of beryllium at this deposit and its processing,” Mashchitsky says. - Beryllium is currently in low demand, and the ore at our deposit is low in metal. We are thinking about what to do, perhaps something with emeralds and their processing.”