Billions of the bankrupt Interkommerts Bank “dissolved” in the offshore areas of the Ministry of Defense
Anton Filatov “added” articles to Timur Ivanov
Regarding the former Deputy Minister of Defense who is in pre-trial detention center Timur Ivanovaccused of receiving a billion-dollar bribe, a second criminal case has been opened: this time for embezzlement on an especially large scale. According to Kommersant, we are talking about money from a bankrupt bank. “Interkommerts” in an amount more than 4 billion rubles; the second person involved is the ex-general director of a company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense “Oboronlogistics” Anton Filatov. TASS, with reference to the case materials, writes that the testimony against Ivanov was given by none other than Filatov, who is actively cooperating with the investigation.
According to Kommersant, there are two episodes in the criminal case. The first relates to a purchase in Greece in April-October 2015, with the help of a company registered in Hong Kong“Turinvest Services Limited”two ferries for the Kerch crossing cost 12.5 million euros. The purchase was entrusted to Oboronlogistics LLC, whose activities as a manager JSC “Oboronstroy”supervised by Timur Ivanov. The investigation assesses the damage from the transaction caused to the state 205 million rubles.
In addition, Turinvest Services Limited and other offshore companies Fromark Investments Limited used for withdrawal in January 2016 45 million euros (3.9 billion rublesat the exchange rate) from Interkommerts Bank. The funds were withdrawn by issuing fictitious contracts for the purchase and sale of currency belonging to the credit institution. A “hole” in bank capital of more than 60 billion rubles was discovered by the Deposit Insurance Agency, and in 2016 the Central Bank deprived Interkommerts of its license, inter alia, due to an inadequate risk assessment of unsatisfactory assets, as well as involvement in dubious transactions.
The investigation into a criminal case of particularly large-scale fraud and embezzlement began back in 2016, when the former chairman of the board of CB Interkommerts became involved. Alexander BugaevskyDeputy Head of the Bank’s Credit Department Alexey Rezvanthe aforementioned General Director of Oboronlogistics Anton Filatov and General Director of Turinvest Services Limited Felix Neubergwho had German citizenship. But Bugaevsky and Rezvan had to be put on the international wanted list, since they managed to escape the investigation in a timely manner and go abroad.
In 2019, the Czech Republic refused the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office to extradite Bugaevsky. Rezvan, according to media reports, may be in Austria, Neuberg – at home in Germany. Only Filatov was unlucky: he spent more than five years under recognizance not to leave the place and was arrested only last April, since, according to investigators, while at large,“may hide, put pressure on witnesses or destroy evidence of his illegal activities”. Why the accused did not engage in “destruction of evidence” while at large will be discussed below.
Are guarantees “voided” by arrest?
Now the “company” of Anton Filatov will be Timur Ivanov. From the publication of Kommersant it follows that Filatov in 2002-2010. held senior positions at enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, then briefly went into commerce, and in 2012 was appointed advisor to Ivanov, at that time deputy prime minister in the government of the Moscow region under the governor Sergei Shoigu.
In 2013, after Shoigu was appointed head of the Ministry of Defense, Ivanov followed his boss and became the general director of Oboronstroy. Filatov, in turn, also moved to the military department, where he held senior positions in subordinate institutions, such as JSC “1470 UMTO”,JSC “Spetstransleasing” And LLC “Oboronlogistics”. The latter, based on the Order of the federal government dated February 12, 2019, became the sole executor of the activities carried out by the Ministry of Defense in 2019-2020. procurement of works and services related to the delivery of troops and cargo to the Arctic zone and the Far Eastern region.
Discussing the latest “Ivanov case,” the authors of online publications come to the conclusion that new defendants will inevitably appear in it. Thus, according to the Telegram channel “VChK-OGPU” (included by the Ministry of Justice in the register of foreign agents), a loan from Interkommerts Bank for the purchase of ferries was issued to the company“Zarubezhvodstroy”the post of general director of which at that time was held by Evgeniy Gudzenchukin exchange for a “quid pro quo” he received a promise of preferences when receiving contracts from the Ministry of Defense.
Later, the debt was allegedly closed using funds received from the sale of Oboronstroy securities and transferred as authorized capital to the Oboronlogistics account opened in another bank. The corrupt officials themselves appropriated 25% of the total amount of the transaction (the same 205 million appearing in the case). By the way, JSC Zarubezhvodstroy was successfully bankrupt, and in May 2018, the Moscow City Arbitration Court introduced bankruptcy proceedings against the enterprise.
Regarding the theft of bank finances, the foreign agent channel has already written about the efforts made by Shoigu and his deputy Ruslan Tsalikovto stop the investigation and Felix Neuberg’s travel abroad, as well as Ivanov’s guarantees of immunity to Filatov. But the arrest of ex-deputy Shoigu “nullified” these guarantees, as a result of which the case received, so to speak, a second wind.
Offshore schemes of the Ministry of Defense
The same foreign agent channel “VChK-OGPU” in several publications describes in detail the implementation of a scheme involving the purchase of ferries through offshore companies. The large-scale scam was carried out thanks to Western sanctions and, as a result, the inability of the Ministry of Defense to purchase the ferries necessary to cross the Kerch Strait. “Creative manager” Timur Ivanov, at that time the head of Oboronstroy, took on the solution to the problem.
Considering the lack of advances, Ivanov turned to the above-mentioned Alexander Bugaevskywho, we recall, held the post of Chairman of the Board of Interkommerts Bank, which before bankruptcy was one of the hundred largest banks in Russia. Bugaevsky, in turn, described the matter to his colleagues in such a way that it was simply impossible to refuse an official who was acting in the interests of the military department. Moreover, the request for assistance in purchasing transport allegedly came from the Deputy Minister Ruslana Tsalikovawhose confidant was Ivanov.
Bugaevsky found among the bank’s clients a company whose management, in exchange for a promise of contracts from the Ministry of Defense, agreed to participate in the deal. Apparently, we are talking about Zarubezhvodstroy, which was mentioned in another publication of the foreign agent channel. The enterprise received a targeted loan for the purchase of goods in the interests of Oboronstroy structures. Anton Filatov was responsible for organizing the auction and winning the right participant. Then Bugaevsky again entered into the scheme, registering the company “Turinvest Services Limited” in Hong Kong, to whose accounts the funds were transferred through two shell companies.
In April 2015, the company acquired ferries “Lavrentios”And “Maria” total cost approx. 12.5 million eurosthen Oboronlogistics bought them with money received from the state. Finance, therefore, returned to Interkommerz, but this only happened in October 2015, when the euro exchange rate increased significantly. Today the difference is 205 million rubles the investigation considers damage, and Ivanov’s lawyers, in turn, claim that their client “pass the buck” for the growth of the euro/ruble exchange rate in 2015.
Be that as it may, Ivanov did not liquidate Turinvest Services Limited: the company even received permission to carry out cargo and passenger transportation between the seaports of Kavkaz and Kerch, and on two previously purchased ferries. The same offshore was used in January 2016, when, on the eve of the revocation of the license from Interkommerts Bank, Bugaevsky transferred foreign currency under fictitious purchase and sale agreements 45 million eurosand the company’s obligations to the credit institution were not secured by anything.
The participants in the scheme successfully “cut up” their finances, and in most cases those involved in the criminal case were inaccessible to investigators. True, in November 2018, the head of Oboronlogistics, Anton Filatov, nevertheless found himself under house arrest, but the preventive measure chosen against him was challenged not only by the defense, but also by the Prosecutor General’s Office: the department considered that the investigation had no grounds at all for bringing Filatov to trial. criminal liability. It is quite natural that in such situations and patrons the official felt safe.
Taking into account the bankruptcy of Zarubezhvodstroy and the liquidation of Oboronstroy in December 2017, it might seem that all the “tails” were successfully “cleaned up,” but no: the resignation and loss of influence by Defense Minister Shoigu revived the criminal case that was “under the carpet.” And although Timur Ivanov denies guilt, Anton Filatov successfully dumps his accomplices in the hope of a lighter sentence in the future. While the names of all the main defendants are familiar, the question is, whose names will appear in the course of further investigation?
