The Federal Antimonopoly Service revealed signs of a cartel collusion between the Konchak private security company and the Altair private security company as part of the implementation of the Healthcare national project. If the anti-competitive agreement can be proven, violating companies face turnover fines. “Version” found among their founders a former metropolitan official and a former high-ranking security official.
State institutions annually spend tens of billions of rubles on the protection of social institutions and facilities. The lion’s share of this money goes to private security companies that won auctions for the provision of security services. At the same time, the Federal Antimonopoly Service also reveals cartel schemes every year: related companies agree to maintain maximum prices at auction. During the auction, they take steps with a minimum reduction – from 0.2 to 5% of the initial (that is, maximum) price of the proposed contract. Thus, the winner of the auction receives a government contract on the most favorable terms for himself. Well, so that “all the sisters in the earrings”, the next contract is won by another company from the conspiracy. Moreover, this has practically no effect on the wages of security guards – employees receive only the rate established for the shift.
The other day it became known that the FAS opened a case on violation of the antimonopoly law on the grounds of violation of paragraph 2 of part 1 of Art. 11 of the Federal Law of July 26, 2006 No. 135-FZ “On Protection of Competition” in relation to LLC Private Security Company Konchak and LLC Private Security Company Altair. According to preliminary estimates, the total amount of initial (maximum) contract prices is 2,459,349,464 rubles.
“The agency suspects companies of concluding and implementing a cartel to maintain prices in 23 trade procedures for the provision of security services for medical institutions and other social facilities in the city of Moscow,” the FAS press service clarifies.
The antimonopolists managed to identify signs of cartel collusion thanks to the use of digital tools for monitoring procurement procedures. We, in turn, also became interested in companies that the FAS suspects of violating the law, and found a lot of interesting things.
One field of berries
According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, LLC CHOP Altair was registered in Moscow in 2011 with an authorized capital of 420 thousand rubles. Founder – Alexander Ivanov, General Director of the company – Anatoly Ryazantsev. CHOP “Altair” LLC took part in public procurement and completed 415 contracts for a total of 5,751,260,040.98 rubles. For 2022, the company showed revenue of 592 million rubles (a decrease of 2% compared to the previous year), and the average monthly salary per employee is 20,311.74 rubles. In addition, PSC “Altair” participated as a defendant in five court cases, the total amount of claims was 4,642,359 rubles.
According to the same resource, ChOP Konchak LLC was registered in Moscow in 2000, the authorized capital of the enterprise is 5,710,000 rubles. The founder is Ermilov Timofey Vladimirovich, the general director is Magsumov Ramil Zufarovich. For 2021, the company’s revenue amounted to 428 million rubles (profit 2.6 million rubles), statements for 2022 have not yet been published. LLC ChOP “Konchak” was a supplier in 267 government contracts in the amount of 4,523,559,760.03 rubles. there are data on 15 court cases involving this company, in six of them – as a defendant. The average number of employees is 86, there is no data on the average salary.
It seems to be nothing special and, at first glance, these two companies are not connected in any way, except for the field of activity in which they are direct and closest competitors. But this is if you don’t know that, for example, Anatoly Ryazantsev, the founder of LLC CHOP Altair, was previously the head of the Moscow municipal district Severny. And the co-founder of Altair, together with Alexander Ivanov, was a former high-ranking employee of law enforcement agencies Pyotr Pavlyuk, who received notoriety in connection with a number of criminal cases initiated against his subordinates. However, the official reason for the dismissal of the general was “reaching the age limit for service.” In other words, he retired.
Alexander Ivanov was also previously the owner of the Konchak private security company, and in 2022 the company was headed by Maxim Peregintsev, who at the same time was the general director of ASK Alliance, also associated with Petr Pavlyuk. Ramil Magsumov has been the head of the Konchak private security company since February of this year.
In principle, there is nothing surprising in the fact that former security forces create private security agencies. But their similar interweaving with officials and among themselves already gives reason to think. Could such a bunch organize a conspiracy to get government contracts on the most favorable terms for themselves? The answer to this question should soon be given by the Federal Antimonopoly Service.
