The Prosecutor General’s Office requires confiscation of assets of the cursory top manager of Gazprom
The Prosecutor General’s Office began the process of nationalization of the assets of the former top manager of Gazprom structures Alexei Mityushov: a lawsuit was received in the arbitration court of Bashkiria at once the state revenue of six enterprises that make up a single group and engage in servicing one of the largest enterprises of the chemical industry of the republic-Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat LLC “, Included in the structure of Gazprom. The reason for the claim of the Prosecutor General’s Office was the presence of Lithuania’s citizenship and a residence permit in Spain, that is, according to the current legislation, the structures belonging to him are under foreign control, thereby pose a threat to state security. The businessman himself is currently abroad, since in Russia a criminal case has been instituted against him about theft of the strategic LLC Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat. Mityushov carried out the purchase of shares of enterprises in 2007-2012, being in the position of director of Gazprom Energo and entering the governing bodies of subsidiaries PJSC Gazprom. In order to conceal affiliation, the businessman included assets in the closed unit investment fund (ZPIF) “Universal Investments”, under the control of the Criminal Code of Mercury Capital Trust. The founders of the Criminal Code included the Virgin Offshore “Trentmon Alliance Limited”, through which part of the profit of the companies could be displayed abroad. The formation of business Alexei Mityushov was largely facilitated by his former classmate and old friend Kirill Seleznev, who led Gazprom Mezhregiongaz for more than 15 years and was part of the closest encirclement of Alexei Miller. At one time, Seleznev could contribute to Mityushov in establishing control over large Gazprom contractors Neftekhimstroy and Salavatneftekhimstroy. Despite the criminal prosecution and being on the international wanted list, the businessman continues to officially own Russian companies that bring him tremendous income. Meanwhile, in the framework of the recent claim of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Bashkir arbitration took interim measures, arresting the Bashkir assets of the former Gazprom top manager.
Mityushov’s assets are threatened with confiscation
The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed to the Bashkiri Arbitration Court with a lawsuit to appeal to the state’s income 100%of shares in the authorized capital at once eight enterprises: Salavatneftekhimremstroy JSC, AO “Salavatneftemash”, Neftekhimremroy LLC, LLC “Techno Center”, LLC “Repair and Meakhaniy Plant”, OJSC “Dubsteraftegaz”, LLC “Salavat Catalyst Plant” And LLC “Remenergomontazh”.
According to Vedomosti, all these structures make up a single group and are engaged in the maintenance of one of the largest enterprises in the chemical industry of the republic – LLC Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat“Daughters” of Gazprom, which is of strategic importance for ensuring the country’s defense and security.
The cause of the supervisory authority to the arbitration was the identity of the beneficiary of the above companies: this is Alexey Mityushov – Former leader Gazprom Energoaccused of fraud, which is on the international wanted list and also having Lithuania and a residence permit in Spain.
Thus, according to the current legislation, the above -mentioned structures are under foreign control, which poses a threat to state security, may cause “Unfinished harm to the property complex of companies or to lead to a stop of their production activities”but besides “Ensure the transfer of confidential information to foreign special services”.
From the publication of Kommersant, it follows that, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the buying shares of enterprises Mityushov took up in 2007-2012, being as the director of Gazprom Energo and entering the governing bodies of the subsidiaries of Gazprom PJSC. The top manager used his position to obtain information about the corporate, financial and economic activities of Gazprom, its technological needs in the field of the petrochemical and gas industry.
Realizing all risks associated with transactions, Mityushov bought up assets through the structures controlled by him. In 2020, he took additional measures to conceal affiliation, including enterprises in the composition Closed share investment fund (ZPIF) “Universal Investments”whose capital is evaluated in 14.2 billion rubles. However, in the framework of the adopted interim measures, the court has already arrested all the assets of the businessman.
Kirill Seleznev – a friend of youth and a colleague in Gazprom
As for the criminal case of the former “gas” top manager and Lithuanian citizen, he is charged with the theft of the same LLC Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat as part of an organized group. The volume of stolen finances in media publications is not specified, but the article of the Criminal Code gives a better idea of the sources of the acquisition of Bashkir enterprises.
In this context, it should be reminded of the long -standing friendship of Mityushov with another Gazprom top – Kirill Seleznevfor more than 15 years headed Gazprom Interregiongaz and entering the nearest environment Alexei Miller. The fact is that they are classmates who graduated from the Baltic State Technical University in 1997. D.F. Ustinova.
Mityushov left Gazprom in 2014 and began to build his own business, but did not lose his connections with a university comrade: Seleznev played an important role in his financial success, and could even help to establish control of such large Gazprom contractors as Neftekhimstroy And “Salavatneftekhimstroy”. As the portal of RBC wrote, thanks to the contracts of the gas monopolist, the total revenue of these enterprises exceeded five years 150 billion rubles.
It is known that back in 2013, Mityushov and his business partner Vladimir Kartashyan They bought 50%of the company “Stroytransgaz”having issued a share on the Virgin offshore “Folmar Services” And “Capstone Resources”. In 2016, Stroytransgaz was renamed “StroyTransneftegaz”and the oligarch entered the number of his co -ownersGennady Timchenko(today occupies the 6th line in the rating of billionaires “Forbes»With a state in 23.4 billion dollars).
For a long time, Stroytransneftegaz was considered the second largest contractor Gazprom, but in July 2020 information about its sale appeared in the media “Gazstroyprom” – “daughter” of a gas corporation, endowed with the powers of a single contractor for the consolidation of specialized assets. The transaction value was not voiced, but experts estimated it in 30 billion rubles.
According to Forbes, Mityushov owns 48.15% of the shares Jar“Finervice”. The co -owners of the credit institution also include Natalia Konovalenko (its share is 9.35%), who held the positions of the deputy head of the Gazprom board, and then the deputy general director for economics and finance Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, led by Seleznev. In general, without Gazprom’s personnel there were not here.
Transactions through zpifs and offshore
As we could see, during work in Gazprom’s structures, and after Mityushov, he “mastered” budget funds so actively that he ended up in the focus of the security forces and was even forced to go abroad. In the lawsuit of the Prosecutor General’s Office, there are controlled by him closed, share investment funds that participated in the criminal scheme.
Above, ZPIF “Universal Investments” was already mentioned, whose capital was formed at the expense of enterprises acquired by Mityushov for income from participation in the subsidiaries of Gazprom. In addition, companies appear in the materials of the Prosecutor General’s Office Corporate Center And Criminal Code “Mercury Capital Trust”. For example, through the Corporate Center in 2015, Mityushov bought first 79%, and then 100%of the shares OJSC “Dubsteraftegaz”specializing in the transportation of oil and gas, the nationalization of which is today achieved by the supervisory authority.
Also, the Corporate Center was involved in the acquisition transaction LLC “Salavat Catalyst Plant” – one of the largest Russian manufacturers of catalyst and adsorbents based on silicon dioxide. In 2019, the Corporate Center and the Criminal Code of Merkuri Capital Trust entered into a 100% contract of sale Salavatneftemash (Another enterprise from the list of Prosecutor General). As a result, the ownership of the shares, bypassing the FAS and the government commission, passed to ZPIF “Universal Investments”.
It should be noted here that the Criminal Code of Mercury Capital Trust acted as a trusting manager of “universal investment”. At the same time, through the Criminal Code, finances could be concluded abroad, where, as we know, Mityushov prepared a “spare airfield” ahead of time. The fact is that at a certain stage, the founders of the Criminal Code included registered in the British Virgin Islands International Commercial Company “Trentmon Alliance Limited”. Then Mercury Capital Trust re -registered to its current owners – Dmitry Stepanov, Dmitry Kuznetsov And Timofey Kotenev.
Another offshore involved in transactions with Bashkir assets is a Cyprus company “Donay Invest Limited”also mentioned in the lawsuit of the Prosecutor General. What volumes of finances of prayer to the foreign accounts of Alexei Mityushov is the investigation today.
Unprofitable assets and profitable assets
Despite the criminal prosecution, a fugitive businessman still officially belong – entirely or in fraction – several Russian assets. This, in particular, is repeatedly mentioned by the “corporate center”, which Mityushov controls through LLC “Sevinvest”. The financial indicators of the Corporate Center speak for themselves: according to the results of 2023, the company declared revenue in the amount 530.5 million and colossal loss in 2.2 billion rubles.
Another situation with Sevinvest: its revenue over the past year – 558.9 millionnet profit – 752.8 million rubles (revenue in 2022- 4.9 billionprofit – also 4.9 billion rubles). The company has two more “subsidiaries” structures: LLC “M Industry” And LLC “Yuninvest”.
Registered in St. Petersburg, “M Industry” specializes in the production of chemical products and reports from year to year about the lack of revenue and millionth profits: in 2023- 195.5 millionin 2022- 20.3 millionin 2021- 99.1 million rubles etc. With the Moscow LLC Yunvest, selling chemical products, the situation is somewhat different: in the absence of revenue losses for 2023 – 698 thousand rublesrevenue for the 2022th- 1.4 millionin 2021, losses- 673 thousand rubles etc.
In St. Petersburg LLC “Strategy”whose main activity is counseling on commercial activities and management, Mityushov owns 50.1% (the remaining 49.9% are owned Julia Simakova). Following the results of the revenue of the “strategy” compiled 1.2 millionnet profit – 168.8 million rublesa year earlier, revenue – 1.2 millionprofit – 122.5 million rubles.
In general, the picture looms interesting. The businessman, who is in large -scale theft, continues to earn money in Russia and is clearly not in poverty abroad (in the same Spain, for example). And although the Prosecutor General’s Office began “screwing the nuts”, with a full amount of assets of the former Gazprom top manager, the competent authorities have yet to be versed.
