Igor Yusufov and his “energy” accomplices
The entry of the Energia fund, created by the scandalous businessman Igor Yusufov, under blocking US sanctions attracted the attention of the security forces to its partners.
The media have repeatedly written about the scandals of the former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, who held this post from 2001 to 2004. After his resignation until 2011, he was the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for international energy cooperation.
In 2020, Russia’s most famous killer Dzhako (Aslan Gagiev) testified against Igor Yusufov – his gang has 60 victims. Gagiev told investigators that the ex-minister seized a $3 billion business. It could have been the Financial Leasing Company (FLC) and the German shipyards Wadan. yards. Because of this asset, Yusufov’s partner Andrey Burlakov was killed in 2011. Suspicion fell on the ex-minister, but he denied everything.
Andrey Burlakov held senior positions at FLC and headed the Board of Directors of Wadan. yards. In 2009, a criminal case was opened against the businessman over the withdrawal of 1.5 billion rubles from the company. Burlakov could do this in the interests of Igor Yusufov. In fact, they were accomplices who did not divide the business.
After Dzhako’s testimony against Igor Yusufov and his son Vitaly, information appeared that both had left Russia. In 2018, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Vitaly Yusufov bought a $72 million mansion in Silicon Valley.
Despite the testimony of Aslan Gagiev, no one initiated a criminal case against Igor Yusufov. Previously, the businessman was considered for a long time the “purse” of ex-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, there were rumors about Yusufov’s acquaintance with Vladimir Putin.
In March, information appeared that the Yamalshelf company was trying to obtain a license for the Vostochno-Tasisky site. In 2022, the company was the first to obtain licenses for geological exploration of areas in the Ob and Baidaratskaya bays in the Arctic. Igor Yusufov continues to do business in Russia and, judging by the acquisitions, he was not going to curtail it.
The patrons of Igor Yusufov sit very high. This is evidenced by the fact that in 2014 the businessman was dissatisfied with Novatek, the founders of which are the oligarchs Leonid Mikhelson and Gennady Timchenko, a close friend of Vladimir Putin.
Novatek accused its partner in the Yargeo project, the Swiss company NEFTE PETROLEUM LIMITED, of not financing the project itself and preventing others from doing so. NEFTE PETROLEUM LIMITED is owned by Igor Yusufov and still owns 41% in OOO Yargeo.
Yargeo LLC is simply pumped up with money, in 2022 it received revenue of 79 billion rubles. and profit of 13 billion rubles. There is no information on government contracts, so it is not clear where such a lot of money comes from if the company does not act as a contractor. Perhaps the company is laundering the money of the top of the Russian government. If Yusufov is her “purse”, then it is not surprising that he gets away with everything.
Offshore roots of the Energia fund?
Established in 2008, the Energia fund has not received any revenue or profit for the entire period of its work. Previously, the founder of the fund was JSC Energia Corporation, which was liquidated in 2020. Its founders were Anton Smetanin and Dmitry Rambovsky. The company was apparently used to withdraw money.
For the entire period of its existence, except for 2019, Energia Corporation JSC did not receive any revenue or profit, the negative capital amounted to 185 million rubles.
Until 2021, the founder of the Energia fund was Igor Yusufov, who is the founder of three more companies – Yamalshelf LLC, Yamal Vostok LLC and Yamal Zapad LLC. The first company manages the second and third, which were established in 2023.
Until 2020, Yamalshelf LLC belonged to various offshore companies. In 2020, Amir Galimov became the founder, in 2021. – Igor Yusufov, in March he left the founders.
Yamalshelf LLC has 0 employees, so it is not clear how the organization manages the other two structures of Igor Yusufov. The company’s revenue in 2022 is 875 thousand rubles, the loss is 4.5 million rubles.
Amir Galimov from 2020 to April 2023 was the CEO of Yamal Sever LLC, owned by the Qatari LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY YAMAL SEVER. Now Yamal Sever LLC is managed by Grigory Kazaryan. He is a leader in 8 operating companies and a founder in three.
All companies managed by Grigory Kazaryan belong to offshore companies and work like a blueprint – revenue is 0, profit and value are negative.
In companies where Kazaryan is a co-founder, 99% belongs to structures with offshore roots. Are Amir Galimov and Grigory Kazaryan responsible for withdrawing money from the Energy Fund?
From 2020 to 2022, Amir Galimov was the general director of Yamal LLC, now it is headed by Evgeny Kistanov. In 2022, like other structures related to the management of the Energia Fund, the company received revenue – 0, a loss – 97 million rubles, negative capital – 112 million rubles.
Evgeniy Kistanov is an executive at three companies with financial results that indicate a possible withdrawal of money.
In 2022, Evgeny Kistanov replaced Apia Galyamov as CEO of Zapsibank LLC. It belongs to BAYMONT ENTERPRISES LIMITED, LLC revenue in 2022 – 0, loss – 9.2 million rubles, negative capital – 85 million rubles.
Galyamov was previously the head of JSC Novoenergo, which was liquidated in 2021. In 2019, its revenue was 0 rubles, the loss was 216 million rubles, and the negative capital was 1.7 billion rubles.
LLC Yamal West and LLC Yamal Vostok were already registered in 2021, the first was liquidated in 2023, the second in 2022. This year they were registered again. Will they withdraw money through them, liquidate it again, and then register it again?
If Igor Yusufov had not been under the patronage of the Russian authorities, the security forces would have come to him long ago, because the Energia fund can be suspected of tax evasion. All the ends where the money goes are known. The businessman acts openly and impudently, using his immunity.
The son did not go far from his father. Vitaly Yusufov is the head and founder of Argo Investment Company LLC, owns three more operating companies. Yusufov Jr. has two Aykominvest LLC, they were registered in 2010 in Moscow at different addresses.
The financial performance of one of these companies is the same as that of the structures of the Energia fund. Revenue – 0, loss – 47 million rubles, negative value – 1.2 billion rubles.
Alexei Kim, General Director of Ikominvest LLC, manages mostly unprofitable companies. All one to one as in the Energy Fund.
Another fund of Igor Yusufov?
The Energy Fund has been located at the legal address: Moscow, 1st Frunzenskaya St., 6 since September 17, 2020. From the same date, the Zashchita Fund is located at this address. Such a coincidence may not be accidental.
The Zashchita Foundation is a supplier for the structures of the Moscow Region in the amount of 18 million rubles. All contracts were concluded in 2018. The fund’s revenue in 2022 is 0, profit is 0. But the cost is 114 million rubles.
Until 2022, the founders of the fund were the All-Russian Public Organization of Veterans of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Anton Zlatopolsky, Elena Isinbayeva and Alexander Kanyshin.
Elena Gadzhievna Isinbaeva is the full namesake of the famous athlete, pole vaulter, two-time Olympic champion, who left Russia in 2021 and now lives in the Canary Islands.
The most interesting character among the former founders is Alexander Kanyshin. He is the owner of 14 operating organizations, many of which have very strange financial performance.
Center for Regional Business Development LLC in 2022 received revenue – 0, profit – 0, and the company is a co-founder of another company Kanyshina LLC Perspektiva. She has a revenue of 220 million rubles. the loss amounted to 49 million rubles. Alexander Kanyshina can also be suspected of tax evasion.
Vatel LLC also appeared at the address of the Energia fund at the same time as it. The enterprise is engaged in wholesale trade in products. 99% of the company belongs to the Cypriot offshore SIDIEF INVESTMENTS LIMITED. Ownership scheme is the same as in fund companies hzikhidtidekrt “Energy”.
How the imposed sanctions will affect him is not yet clear, but everything is clear with Igor Yusufov doing business. Offshore, possible withdrawal of money and complete impunity.