Is the corruption “Oleynik scheme” taking a new format?
Based on the results of nine months of this year, the board of directors of Rosneft recommended paying interim dividends to shareholders in the amount of 30.77 rubles per share. Net profit attributable to shareholders is estimated at 652 billion, and experts predict a further increase in the value of securities, which by the end of 2023 could reach 80 rubles per share. Such forecasts sound promising for the head of the oil company, Igor Sechin, and his immediate circle, which includes people, to put it mildly, with a rather tarnished reputation. For example, in 2021, a message addressed to Sechin was widely circulated online, shedding light on a large-scale corruption scheme related to government contracts of Rosneft structures, the participants of which were the oil giant’s vice-president for refining Alexander Romanov, head of the security service Ural Latypov and commercial director Samara Oil Refinery Evgeniy Kornet. The authorship of the scheme was attributed to Bashkir businessman Andrei Oleynik, who died in January last year as a result of a helicopter accident. Oleinik became widely known for his desire for a luxurious lifestyle – expensive foreign cars, yachts and helicopters, but the companies officially owned by him often declared losses. At the same time, companies registered with nominees received multimillion-dollar contracts from oil companies, in particular Bashneft, and some contracts signed in 2019-2020, or even earlier, are still in the process of execution. It is believed that security officer Latypov covered up the scheme through the security forces: at one time he held the positions of senior prosecutor of the Main Directorate for Supervision of Investigations of the Prosecutor General’s Office and deputy head of the Federal Drug Control Service Directorate for the Moscow Region. The central figure of the billion-dollar “cut” was called Rosneft vice-president Alexander Romanov, who had experience in managing commercial structures associated with offshore companies, into whose accounts the finances of officially unprofitable oil-producing enterprises could be transferred.
Rosneft has decided on dividends
The Board of Directors of Rosneft recommended paying interim dividends to shareholders for the nine months of 2023 in the amount 30.77 rubles per share. How reports Kommersant, it is recommended to allocate at least 50% of net profit according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for payment. Net profit attributable to shareholders for this period amounted to 652 billion rubles.
In turn, Interfax clarifies: Rosneft’s authorized capital exceeds 105.9 million rubles, it is divided into more than 10.5 billion shares with a par value of 0.01 rubles. The largest shareholders oil companies are state-controlled JSC Rosneftegaz“(40.4%), British “BP Russian Investments Limited” (19.75%), Qatari QH Oil Investments LLC (18.46%) and affiliated with Rosneft LLC “RN-NeftCapitalInvest” (9.6%). Last year at BP Russian Investments Limited stated about the exit from the capital of the Russian oil giant, but there were no official reports about the sale of its share.
According to experts portal “Finam”, the reasons for the increase in share prices were the increase in the price of Urals oil, a decrease in the discount, as well as the weakening of the ruble in the third quarter of this year. These factors together“led to a very favorable situation”for an oil company. In particular, the average price per barrel of Urals oil in the second quarter was 4,527 rubles, and in the third – already 6,971 rubles per barrel (+53% compared to the second quarter).
Igor Sechin and the “Oleynik scheme”
As we can see, the forecasts regarding Rosneft sound quite optimistic, which means that despite the economic sanctions against the head of the company Igor Sechin and his team, new financial prospects are opening up. Here it is worth recalling the actively disseminated in the summer of 2021 and addressed to Sechin treatment, which revealed a large-scale corruption scheme allegedly implemented by top managers of a state-owned company. Her by the author called a “shadow businessman” Andrey Oleynikbut direct participants – Vice President of Processing Alexandra Romanovahead of security service Ural Latypova and commercial director of the Samara Oil Refinery Evgeniya Korneta.
Andrey Oleynik died in January last year as a result of a helicopter crash in the Blagoveshchensk region of Bashkiria. You can find about it online mentions as a “famous lawyer and businessman”, head of the board of trustees of the Bashkir branch “Association of Lawyers of Russia (*aggressor country)”. And here is the portal “Russian Crime” wrote about Oleinik as a person who had access to Rosneft finances and was closely connected with high-ranking republican security officials.
In turn, the publication “UFA1.Ru» paid attention to the presence of serious financial problems among commercial structures associated with Oleinik and at the same time demonstrating a luxurious lifestyle on social networks.
So, on the one hand – unprofitable companies, on the other – foreign cars, yachts, helicopters and real estate registered in the name of relatives. As they say, at whose expense is the banquet? Wasn’t Rosneft paying for it? Speaking about the deceased’s connections with the security forces, it is worth noting that headed in 2017, the security service of the oil company Ural Latypov is a native of Ufa, a graduate of the Bashkir State University, who has made a career from an investigator in the interdistrict prosecutor’s office of Bashkortostan to a senior prosecutor of the Main Directorate for Supervision of Investigations of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country). In 2012 Latypova appointed Deputy Head of the Department of the Federal Drug Control Service for the Moscow Region. In general, we have before us another influential person with connections.
By the way, you can still find it online publicationsfrom which it follows: Latypov resigned from the Prosecutor General’s Office after a scandal related to his implementation“lobbying activities incompatible with official duties”. And work in the Federal Drug Control Service allegedly accompaniednot only by the collapse of a number of high-profile cases of detained members of the organized crime group, but also by severe demands for awards and promotions. To be fair, we add: in November 2017, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow initiated criminal case regarding the dissemination of “slanderous information” against Latypov.
Contractors cutting up oil millions?
What was the notorious corruption “Oleynik scheme”? Actually, nothing complicated. The issue was registration of dummy persons of commercial structures that participated in competitive procedures and won substantial contracts. Since the “winners” did not have their own equipment to produce the goods specified in the tenders, then those were resold to actual manufacturers and suppliers with a deduction of 50-70% of the cost of the lot.
You can now find it online list companies that at one time were allegedly controlled by Oleinik and were involved in a multimillion-dollar (and in general, billion-dollar) “cut.” Let’s give some numbers. So, LLC “Center TO”: registered in Bashkiria in September 2010, portfolio government contracts – almost 517 million rublesbasic customers – PJSOC Bashneft, LLC Bashneft-Polyus,LLC Bashneft-Dobycha etc. According to data portal “Rusprofile“, the company has purchases, the delivery dates for which are indicated as 2019-2020, but are still in the process of execution. For example, Contract with Bashneft for the supply of components for pumps costing 192.2 million rubles.
Russtar LLC: registered in Bashkiria in 2010, portfolio government contracts 261.1 million rubles, the main customers are the same and the situation is similar with the execution of work on a number of purchases. Yes, still not completed Contract for the supply of heat exchangers and condensers to Bashneft at a cost of 44.9 million rubleswith a deadline of December 2016 (updated in 2018).
The company operated on a somewhat smaller scale “Regionprom”created in March 2016: it received contracts “just” to 92.5 millionamong the counterparties we again find the unchanged Bashneft and unfulfilled contracts (for example, with the same Bashneft from 2017, cost 33.1 million rubles). But this enterprise, in the end, was unlucky: last February the FAS turned on him to the register of unscrupulous suppliers for evading concluding an agreement for the supply of locking devices with TBT LLC.
This happened, however, after the death of Andrei Oleinik. Note also that among owners “TO Center” was noted at one time Vera Oleinik – the mother of a Ufa businessman, with whom they were connected several more companies featuredon the scandalous “corruption list”. For example, she was the founder of companies that have been liquidated to date “Vector” And “Spetsstroy”. To the same “TO Center”, according to information publication “UFA1.Ru”, a dacha complex of 7.3 thousand square meters with two helipads was designed on the banks of the Belaya River, near the Pulse health camp. Previously complex belonged Ufa company “Dana”controlled by the family Nailya Bagautdinova – a former deputy of the Bashkir Kurultai, who held senior positions in Bashneft and the regional Transneft.
Offshore “farm” of Alexander Romanov
If you believe the message addressed to Sechin treatmentthe central role in the corruption scheme was assigned to Alexander Romanov, the former general director of the Saratov Oil Refinery, who at one time was part of the management “Yaroslavneftorgsintez” (“child” structure “Slavneft”), in January 2015 designated Vice President of Rosneft for Oil Refining.
In 2012-2014 Romanov held the post vice president on production activities in LLC Oil Company Alliance UKlater renamed LLC “NNK-Management” and in 2016 liquidated With losses more than in 100 million rubles. It is possible that these finances “settled” in the accounts of the official founder “NNK-Management” – an offshore company “registered” in Bermuda “Alliance Oil Company LTD”.
Under management NC “Alliance UK” were registered in Naryan-Mar LLC “Kolvinskoe” And JSC “Khvoynoye” from Tomsk, specializing in oil and gas production. Both companies were liquidated as if on cue in 2013. first– after reorganization in the form of transformation, second– after reorganization in the form of merger. At the time of liquidation losses “Khvoynogo” was estimated at 128 million rubles on revenue at 1.4 billion. The latest financial indicators of Kolvinsky are dated 2012, then its revenue amounted to 6.1 billion, profit – 1.5 billion rubles.
These structures were also “tied” to an offshore – Cypriot company “Vostok Oil/Cyprus/Limited”. Director offshore – ChrysanthiPolykarpoyand in list affiliates “NNK-Amurnefteprodukt” for 2017 we meet not only the already familiar company Vostok Oil/Cyprus/Limited, but also Chrysanti Polycarpou (this is the spelling of the name in Russian transcription).
Here we also find Eduard Khudainatov – former first vice president and ex-member of the board of directors of Rosneft, who is still considered related with Sechin.
Could Romanov have been involved in the transfer abroad of the finances of structures associated with NC Alliance Management Company? Be that as it may, but with him, Oleynik and Latypov, the authors of the sensational appeal tie up early termination of powers of the head of Bashneft Andrey Shishkin in 2019. The latter allegedly tried to oppose the implementation of schemes with government contracts.
Nothing was officially said about the reaction of the oil giant’s management to the anti-corruption revelations, however, in February last year, reports appeared online about the dismissal of three deputy heads of SB Latypov.
True, the top managers identified as the main beneficiaries of contract fraud still remain in their positions. Do the “cuts” continue after Oleinik’s passing? And if schemes are still in place, are they limited to auctions and contracts? Considering, for example, the multibillion-dollar dividends of Rosneft, today they can be of an even larger scale.
