Frank for Moneron, or Critters against Kozhemyako

The verdict was announced to the owner of the Moneron fishing company, the richest deputy in Russia by the end of 2020, Dmitry Pashov. He was detained at the beginning of 2021 and only now found guilty of smuggling products to Japan, Korea and China, as well as evading customs payments, and sentenced to 4.5 years in a strict regime colony and a fine of 1 million rubles. This was reported by Kommersant.

The Moscow Post has already written that Pashov could act, among other things, in the interests of his fugitive business partner Oleg Kan, which the court confirmed. In 2020, the latter was arrested in absentia for organizing the murder of Far Eastern businessman Valery Pkhidenko in 2010 – reported “Interfax“.

“Moneron” is the largest fisherman and a serious struggle will now begin for its assets. Several large Russian entrepreneurs and even a top manager of a state-owned enterprise may become the main contenders. Details are in The Moscow Post.

How “friendship” with Kozhemyako made Pashov a billionaire

Dmitry Pashov and Oleg Kan have been developing the fishing business for many years. In 2014-2015, they began to actively invest in social projects in the Far East, primarily in the Primorsky Territory. The main goal of such injections could be Pashov’s desire to enter politics and, from the seat of a deputy, lobby for the interests of Moneron.

Be that as it may, but in 2017 Pashov received a seat in parliament. And he entered the Association of Fishermen of the Sakhalin Region (ARSO). Thank you for this, most likely, you need the governor of the region Oleg Kozhemyako. In his position, Pashov worked for free – that is, without a salary. But he definitely received a benefit of a different kind, which was ultimately expressed in monetary terms.

The point is that Pashov, for example, was one of the most ardent opponents of the redistribution of aquatic biological resources through the auction system. The parliamentarian was the initiator of several appeals to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of the Russian Federation, which spoke about the inadmissibility of making changes, which in fact could lead to a significant decrease in the share of his business on the market, letting in new players.

Meanwhile, the family of the Primorsky governor, Kozhemyako, is one of the largest interests in the fishing business. The head of the region himself transferred all the assets to his wife Irina Gerasimenko, whom he prefers not to advertise. Including the base of the Preobrazhensky trawl fleet, which Kozhemyako owned in 1995-1997.

In 2018, the company of Oleg Kozhemyako’s son opened a crab processing plant in Primorye. Is it on the eve of replenishing the “empire” with Pashov’s assets?

Everybody wants Moneron

In 2018, the Preobrazhensky Trawl Fleet Base was unexpectedly bought by the structures of billionaire Alexander Verkhovsky. According to one version, Kozhemyako got rid of the asset so as not to become a victim of the redistribution of the market by Gleb Frank, the owner of the Russian Fishery Company (RRPC), who has gained strength. He allegedly enjoyed the support of the head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, Ilya Shestakov, and the current disgrace to Kan-Pashov may be connected, among other things, with Frank’s claims to Moneron.

It is known that Frank was going to buy the assets of this company in 2020. According to rumors, he was interested in them before, but Kahn and Pashov were not going to sell them.

When it “smelled of fried” (Kan was accused) and the court seized Moneron’s property in the case of non-payment of taxes by the company, Pashov decided to sell his business, but not to Frank, and possibly follow his partner abroad. At least in 2020, the names of the TV presenter and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak and Elena Soglaeva, the wife of the former top manager of Rosneft Igor Soglaev, sounded as potential buyers in the media.

Moreover, together with Moneron, they were going to auction off the Kuril Universal Complex (KUK). But the Federal Tax Service refused the deal, in which Igor Solgaev, a former top manager of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, who wanted to receive a minority stake, also took part.

According to Rusprofile, Soglaev is the president of Samaranefteorgsintez Management Company CJSC, which, through several firms, is connected with NNK JSC, an established structure of Rosneft RN-Commerce.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

During the period when there were attempts to transfer the business, Sobchak’s mother, senator Lyudmila Narusova, asked the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dmitry Patrushev, and the Federal Agency for Fishery to include Moneron and KUK in the list of backbone enterprises, which was unexpectedly done, though pretty soon cancelled. Soglaev then spoke about what happened, stating that Sobchak’s mother cannot be blamed for protecting the fishing industry only now – Ura.ru reported this. So there is reason to believe that in the deal he represented the interests of Sobchak, and by no means Igor Sechin, in whose company he lasted about two months.

Although, as you know, there is another interest in the crab business, possibly close to the head of Rosneft. We are talking about the president of the Antey Group of Companies, Ivan Mikhnov, who could avoid criminal prosecution thanks to his high-ranking acquaintance. We covered this story in detail. So, albeit not through Solgaev, but Sechin, in the person of Mikhnov, may have his own interest in Pashov’s business.

“Gray schemes” Soglaev

By the way, Soglaev was declared bankrupt. Despite this, he continues to do business. Literally last year, through the company “Titul”, he acquired a controlling stake in “Ulyanovskenergo”. As a result, after a protracted conflict, it had to be returned, Ulyanovskenergo said that what happened was an attempt to seize the enterprise, the 73online edition wrote.

The “Title” also stated that it was they who refused the deal, making sure of the unsatisfactory financial condition of the company. Well, according to open data, in 2021 the company increased its revenue to 16 billion rubles. It is difficult to speak of an unsatisfactory state here.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

What can not be said about the Alt-Carbon Corporation, where Soglaev was listed as CEO until 2022. By the way, one of the founders of this office is Korsarneft LLC, which belonged to Sergey Yakovlev. Last year, the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov appointed him Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the Development of Specially Protected Natural Areas of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation.

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru

This does not prevent the official from continuing to manage the company, which is tied to the Cypriot “RING OIL HOLDING AND TRADING LIMITED” until the end of May this year. Now re-registered to the owner of many oil-producing assets, Igor Shevenko.

By the way, in the situation with Ulyanovskenergo, it was rumored that Soglaev could be connected and lobby for the interests of the scandalous Sergei and Vladimir Makhlaev, who are hiding from Russian law enforcement officers abroad. We covered this story in detail.

Entering the ring…

In history, surnames are much more famous. According to the publication “Business Vector”, the oil fields of “Korsarneft” in the Saratov region in 2020 were transferred to the son of billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Is it possible that Abramovich at one time, through Soglaev, also laid claim to the crab empire of Pashov and Kan? Given the scope of the businessman – this is quite possible to assume.

Pashov is going to jail, which means that a serious struggle will now begin for his assets. And, apparently, Kozhemyako and Frank will fight. And most likely the second one will win this fight. Of course, Kozhemyako has a strong administrative resource, but Frank’s patrons will be “jawed”.