May the plans of the “Kuban Al Capone” to return to Russia be premature?
Krasnodar “authoritative businessman” Oleg Makarevich, also known as “Kuban Al Capone”, successfully closed a criminal case on tax evasion, in which he and his wife Natalya became a defendant in 2019. The case was dismissed after he was brought to subsidiary liability for the debts of the Metallglavsnab enterprise, which is in the process of bankruptcy, and the debt, penalties and fines for a total of 529 million rubles were written off. But besides the tax case, a number of criminal cases have been initiated against Makarevich, the mention of which he is now intensively cleaning up on the Internet, along with other negative information about himself. In April 2021, the Krasnodar oligarch fled from the investigation, went abroad and since then may be in Austria, where he previously acquired real estate and opened bank accounts to which millions of euros were transferred. The flight of the “Kuban Al Capone” was preceded by the high-profile detention of the chairman of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar, Gennady Bayrak, who was considered “Makarevich’s man”, who directly influenced the adoption of the court decisions necessary for the businessman. Close to the oligarch is also called the current head of the Federal Tax Service of Russia in the Tambov region, a native of the Kuban, Alexei Zhitlov, who previously held senior positions in the Krasnodar Territory. Today, Makarevich is actively using old connections to re-register part of his business in Tambov – companies that are part of the structure of the Crafter transport holding, which bring him a solid profit. Immediately after the New Year holidays, messages appeared on the network about the plans of the “Kuban Al Capone” to return to Russia, with which they associated the “cleansing” of the Internet initiated by him. Just a few days ago, he received another blow: after lengthy proceedings, as a result of a new consideration, the Moscow Arbitration Court recognized as legal the decision of the regulator to revoke the license from YuMK Bank, the beneficiaries of which included the oligarch himself and his wife. Meanwhile, back in November, hoping for a favorable outcome, the former management of the credit institution prevented the completion of liquidation procedures, and in order to gain access to the bank building in Krasnodar, the liquidator Fanil Yunusov was forced to turn to law enforcement agencies.
Half a billion was recovered from the “Kuban Al Capone” Makarevich
On the termination of the criminal case on tax evasion initiated against Oleg Makarevich and his wife Natalya, became known at the end of December. As writes Kommersant, back in November 2021, a Krasnodar businessman was brought to subsidiary liability as part of the company’s bankruptcy Metallglavsnab. As a result, the amount of debt, fines and penalties for the total amount 529 million rubles. After the forced collection of tax arrears and repayment of the damage caused, the case was dismissed.
Recall that the criminal prosecution of Makarevich, which the media called “Kuban Al Capone”, in the “tax case” was initiated in December 2019 on the basis of the audit materials, which revealed numerous violationsincluding illegal deduction of VAT for more than 52 million rublesincome tax concealment in the amount of 294 million, entering false information about inflated expenses in declarations, etc. Same reported on the alienation of the property of the bankrupt Metallglavsnab in favor of companies controlled by the businessman’s family“Kubanoptprodtorg”,“Dinskie sausages”,YuMK and “Ekaterinodar”.
In April 2021, Makarevich fled from the investigation and was declared wanted. However, by this time he had already prepared for himself an “alternate airfield” abroad, having acquired real estate in Austria. Moreover, by information edition of Nasha Versiya, in 2019 alone, the merchant transferred more than 10 million euros. Apparently, this can be considered a kind of “hello” to the Russian tax authorities.
It got to the point of absurdity. For example, in the same year of 2019, an “authoritative businessman” initiated litigation proceedings with Moscow office JSC “Austrian Airlines”claiming damages from the carrier in the amount of 800 euro for the fact that his family could not arrive in Vienna on time “for negotiating and inspecting 7 real estate objects with a view to their further acquisition”. Makarevich lost the process in the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow for such a “colossal” amount.
Kuban Zhitlov – a guarantor of tax security?
But back to recent events. The termination of the tax evasion case apparently gave Makarevich confidence: publications about his possible return to Russia. This was preceded by a Kuban oligarch “mopping up” Internet from negative information about his far from cloudless past, as well as a number of lawsuits directed by him against independent media.
In addition, the businessman does not like mentioning that in his homeland he is involved in not one, but entire seven criminal cases (which, apparently, he also hopes to close in the near future). Makarevich’s unwillingness to attract the attention of journalists may also be due to the following important circumstance: the fact is that recently he has been intensively re-registers controlled enterprises to new addresses in the Tambov region.
Today they have changed “propiska” companies he owns “Trans-Ural”, “Bigcar”, “Neva-logistics”. These and other companies are part of the group structure “Crafter” – one of the largest Russian transport and logistics holdings, whose fleet exceeds 22 thousand vehicles. In addition, you can find online mentions about Makarevich’s close acquaintance with the employees of the Federal Tax Service of Russia in the Tambov region.
Here it is worth pointing out one important circumstance: in August 2021, the Tambov regional tax department headed Alexey Zhitlov – a native of the Kuban, who held high positions in the Federal Tax Service of the Krasnodar Territory, in 2012-218. former first deputy head, and then the head of the Timashevsky district. Portal “Moment of Truth” writes about long-standing friendly relations connecting Zhitlov with the Kuban oligarch. Moreover, a number of those dedicated to Makarevich publications mention the acquisition of the Krasnodar production base CJSC “KOPT”redeemed for a small price precisely because of corrupt ties in the tax authorities.
In such scenarios, the transfer of part of the business to the Tambov region promises new prospects. Simultaneously voiced in the network versionaccording to which Makarevich, despite being abroad, makes every effort to remove the head of the Federal Tax Service for the Krasnodar Territory Alexey Semenov in order to replace him with a loyal and time-tested colleague from Tambov.
Judge Bayrak – an irreparable loss?
In his native Kuban, the local Al Capone suffered not only financial, but also personnel losses. In March 2021, employees of the Moscow department of the FSB detained the chairman of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar Gennady Bayrak: How reported Media, he was taken away in handcuffs right from the workplace. The “servant of Themis”, who was in the center of attention of the security forces, became a defendant in a criminal case on attempted fraud on an especially large scale and abuse of power, initiator which was personally the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin.
By versions investigation, Bayrak demanded from his friend 2.3 million rubles, using a fictitious claim drawn up on behalf of a lawyer to collect a debt for supposedly rendered legal services to receive money. Moreover, with the help of his subordinates, the chairman of the court was able to achieve the arrest of the “debtor’s” home ownership, which, in fact, forced the latter to turn to law enforcement agencies. During the investigation, Bayrak was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center; indictment in the case of extortionate judge Prosecutor General’s Office approved in August last year.
We dwelled on the story of Bayrak for one simple reason: journalistic investigations not only connected him with Makarevich, but called a man who dictated to the judges the decisions needed by the “authoritative businessman.” It is noteworthy that the Kuban oligarch was put on the wanted list shortly after the arrest of his friend, dressed in a judicial robe. It is unlikely that such a sequence of events can be considered a coincidence.
By the way, there is a very curious episode in the biography of Makarevich. In August 2014, as Chairman of the Board of Directors JSC Southern Diversified Corporation (SMC)he turned out to be a defendant in a criminal case of abuse of power and was arrested court decision, but soon released on bail in 1 million rubles.
Then the focus of the investigation was the scheme embezzlement Finance of Krasnodar MUP “Sovkhoz” Progress ” in the process of implementing a joint investment project with SMK for the development of agricultural production. As a result of cooperation, the state farm lost the equipment of the feed workshop, which was transferred to an agricultural enterprise that is part of the SMK structure “October”by eliminating their own animal husbandry. In addition, on the basis of one of the production sites of Progress, controlled by the corporation “Krasnodar fattening complex” began to implement his own pig fattening project, without compensating the costs of the state farm.
In total, the amount of damage caused to MUP evaluated in 51 million rubles. However, the case was soon closed, allegedly after intervention who was at that time the governor of the Kuban Alexandra Tkacheva. Be that as it may, but decision on the recognition of Makarevich’s right to rehabilitation was adopted by the Oktyabrsky Court of Krasnodar. Has the old friend Bayrak “made friends” again?
Lost “battle” for YuMK Bank
Another blow that will fall on Makarevich in the same 2021 was the revocation of the license from“Bank of the Southern Diversified Corporation” (UMK Bank), whose beneficiaries included the oligarch himself and his wife Natalya. Decided Regulator explained repeated violation of the requirements of the legislation on combating the legalization of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism. In addition, during the inspection of the bank, schemes carrying out non-transparent operations to withdraw funds abroad and conceal real financial flows.
Here it would be appropriate to recall the “alternate airfield” of the “Kuban Al Capone” in Europe and his multimillion-dollar accounts in an Austrian bank. Long legal proceedings began, during which the Moscow Arbitration Court recognized the regulator’s orders to revoke the license and introduce an interim administration as illegal. media stressedthat the last time this happened was in 2015. But then “the wind changed direction”: last September, the Supreme Court canceled decision of the lower courts, returning the case for a new trial. As a result, just a few days ago, the Moscow Arbitration Court refused in recognition of illegal orders of the Central Bank.
It turns out that in this case the last word did not remain with Makarevich. But no later than in November, the former management of the credit institution prevented the completion of liquidation procedures as much as possible, apparently counting on a favorable development of the situation. In particular, the liquidator Fanil Yunusov told “Kommersant” that he could not get into the building of “UMK Bank”, located in Krasnodar, on the street. Uralskaya, 95, as employees of the security company with the participation of the former chairman of the board of the institution prevent access there. To ensure access to the premises, where, moreover, there was no power supply, he had to turn to law enforcement agencies.
Did the oligarch expect such a development of events? In any case, the blow will be painful. Be that as it may, he still continues to be founder about 30 commercial organizations, including the structures of the Crafter group that bring solid profits and the growing Krasnodar OOO “Memorial”specializing in the provision of funeral services. The question is whether the “Kuban Al Capone” will continue to control them from abroad or will return to Russia, inspired by the cessation of the “tax case” and the informational “cleansing”.
