“Natsrybresurs” fell under the confrontation between Kozhemyako and Darkin

The criminal case of bribery, which involves the ex-deputy general director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Natsryresurs” Igor Ustinov and the ex-head of the Primorsky branch of “Natsryresurs” Yuri Balashov, may receive more than one episode. Moreover, the “hitting” of former top managers of a state-owned company may be a link in the conflict over the berths of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise as a whole, which involves a company affiliated with the family of the former governor Sergei Darkin and the current one, Oleg Kozhemyako.

The other day, the Primorye prosecutor’s office announced the arrest of four of the five defendants in a bribery case involving the former deputy general director for internal policy of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Natsrybresurs” (indicated as the recipient), as well as the former head of the Primorsky branch, listed as an intermediary. Two unnamed executives of commercial companies are also mentioned as intermediaries, and a bribe-paying businessman.

According to investigators, back in 2021, the director of a certain company transferred more than 1 million rubles – part of the agreed bribe of 11 million rubles – for the guaranteed conclusion of a lease agreement for a passenger berth in Diomede Bay. Three defendants, according to investigators, helped in negotiations and cashing out funds. The ex-deputy head of “National Fishery Resources” Igor Ustinov and the ex-head of the branch Yuri Balashov were arrested.

The media tried to find out what strange things were going on at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise, which in recent years has become involved in a number of high-profile scandals related specifically to the berths controlled by National Fishery Resources.

To begin with, let us recall that the branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Natsrybresurs” operates in the Zolotoy Rog and Diomede bays (Vladivostok), the seaport of Zarubino, as well as in the seaport of Nakhodka, including sea terminals in Preobrazhenie and Livadia.

Balashov and Ustinov and their common business

FSUE “Natsrybresurs” has a “subsidiary” asset – LLC “Natsrybflot” (registered in Moscow), which, judging by Rusprofile data, was managed by Igor Ustinov from August 2017 to May 2022.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

In Primorye, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise also had a “daughter” – LLC Natsrybtorg Primorye, which was headed by Yuri Balashov from March 2019 to May 2023 (what a coincidence!). Today, this asset is in the process of liquidation, and a bankruptcy claim has also been filed.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

The fact that Balashov and Ustinov are not just acquaintances, but have close business ties, is evidenced by the following fact: the Primorye fishing LLC “East Sea”, owned by Ustinov since 2017, has been headed by Yuri Balashov since 2022 (however, there is a a mark of unreliability, but it looks very much like an attempt to hide the loose ends). Previously, by the way, the company was headed by a certain Alexander Vysotsky – the full namesake of a member of the commission of the FSUE’s subsidiary – Natsrybtorg Primorye LLC, which was then headed by Balashov. Vysotsky appeared in the 2019 protocol on the purchase from the only supplier – Luka LLC – for renting premises in Nakhodka, and the company also had other relationships directly with the Federal State Unitary Enterprise itself. The owner of “Luka” today is Elena Vysotskaya – the full namesake of an employee of the Interregional Inspectorate of the Federal Tax Service for the Far Eastern Federal District. Isn’t Alexandra a relative?

Photo: https://zakupki.kontur.ru

It is noteworthy: FSUE “Natsryresurs” itself had business relations directly with the “East Sea”. Moreover, the company, apparently, was already owned by Ustinov. Is there also a violation here?

Another interesting director of the “Eastern Sea”, whom Balashov directly replaced, is Evgenia Bochkareva (aka Ludkova). The latter, since 2021, has also been the director of Moreon LLC, which in May 2022 passed to Sergei Dymov, the full namesake of the former head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Office for the Primorsky Territory and Sakhalin. Before him, NPKA Nereida LLC, affiliated with the family of former governor Sergei Darkin, was also noted among the owners. A very interesting coincidence.

Among Balashov’s notable connections, one can also note Maxim Muraevev, a Sakhalin ex-deputy, with whom they jointly owned Sakhrybprom LLC. The latter has now been liquidated, but Balashov was actively developing the Sakhalin market, but all assets were liquidated. Another operating, but in Primorye, enterprise associated with Balashov is JV Rybbelflot LLC, which he owns jointly with the Belarusian CJSC Admiral Husso, Sergei Ivanovich and Nikolai Avdeenko – the full namesake of the FSB aviation major general, ex-commander of aviation Pacific Border District. Avdeenko, by the way, was a native of Belarus and in Primorye he was the head of the local community.

Unknown known in Balashov’s circle of connections

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Balashov’s connections is the Rebikov family, as well as Pavel Nikolaev and Andrei Nazarov, who are also closely connected with business in Diomede Bay.

Nikolaev and Nazarov are the founders of Diomidovsky Terminal LLC and Diomidovsky Fishing Port LLC. Ustinov bought the “Eastern Sea” from Nikolaev and Nazarov in 2017, but Alexander and Evgeniy Rebikov managed to be the owners before them. At the same time, LLC “Primrybport” of the latter is still registered at the same address as “East Sea”.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru/

Tochka Omega LLC, owned by Vladimir Rebikov and German Lifanov, is also registered at the same address as the company of Ustinov and the Rebikovs, which also conducts an active fishing business.

Vladimir Rebikov is notable for the fact that he was the founder of a number of shipping companies whose ships were “parked” in Diomede Bay with violations (in the opinion of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise). For example, Dolphin LLC was a defendant in a claim for a debt for parking one of the ships at the passenger pier. From this dispute it is known that FSUE Natsrybresurs and Anatoly Ponomarev’s MorePortService LLC terminated the lease agreement for the passenger berth in November 2021. The new tenant was not announced, but Dolphin made payments in 2022 to the account of a certain Strazha LLC, owned by the little-known Yuri Nisolovsky – ex-director of Prichal Diomede LLC, which was liquidated in 2017, owned by a certain Nina Mikhalik, not having other assets. Are both someone’s denominations?

By the way, “Dolphin” was also a defendant in the lawsuit of the “Diomidovsky Fishing Port” and again it was about the mooring of the vessel “Dolphin” LLC, which managed to “hitch” berth No. 1, which the port had already rented. And, as we remember, it was the owners of the port who at one time sold the East Sea company to Ustinov.

For Ustinov, the Eastern Sea is the only asset in Primorye; perhaps Balashov was a kind of intermediary for this market. And with Balashov, as we can see, the Rebikov family is closely connected, who, judging by the amount of claims for parking ships at the passenger pier in Diomede, are unlikely, in our opinion, to refuse to become its new tenants. After all, then you wouldn’t have to pay for ship parking, which is very, very expensive. There is interest.

By the way, it was previously reported that Rebikov’s companies more than once came to the attention of law enforcement officers. And, as TASS reported, in 2016, Rebikov was convicted of bribing a bailiff in an attempt to evade a court decision to vacate the berth in Diomede Bay.

It would seem that all the people involved are more or less clear, but what does Kozhemyako and Darkin have to do with it?

The fact is that the fishing port of Vladivostok, which is backed by the interests of two governor’s families, also had a dispute over berths with the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “National Fish Resources” several years ago. As a result, in 2021, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise won the dispute, but this story is still not completed. For example, on October 23, the arbitration will begin to hear the claim of a company associated with the Darkin and Kozhemyako family (through Geotex LLC and Bereg-Ost LLC) – Vladivostok Fish Terminal LLC against the fishing port and FSUE Natsrybresurs to invalidate the agreement in parts. We’ll probably talk about berths again. And it is quite possible that a criminal case against a former top manager of a state-owned enterprise is a kind of signal that may turn into more than one episode, judging by the scandals that the Federal State Unitary Enterprise and its now former top managers have been involved in. Moreover, “tangentially” the story of the Diomede berths has already been touched upon by companies from the governor’s division.