Will Andrei Belous, who is responsible for the improvement of St. Petersburg, become a defendant in the criminal case?
Election campaign of a candidate for governor of St. Petersburg, nominee of United Russia (*aggressor country) and the current head of the Northern capital Alexandra Beglova may begin with a loud scandal. The fact is that publications have appeared on the Internet about possible financing by the director of the Smolny-controlled “Center for Comprehensive Improvement” (GKU “TsKB”), Andrei Belous, of his brother, who serves in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. If the information is confirmed, the official faces criminal prosecution. Belous himself is a native of Vinnitsa, who moved to Russia (*aggressor country) only in 2014. He headed the “TsKB” in April 2022, and before that he headed the State Unitary Enterprise “Center” (today the State Budgetary Institution “Central Administration of Regional Roads and Improvement”), whose activities the Accounts Chamber became interested in last winter. Belous is counting on reappointment after Beglov’s victory in the September elections, but his plans may be hindered by both reports about a Ukrainian relative and a growing corruption scandal associated with two tenders of the St. 1.5 billion rubles. The contracts were awarded to the SoyuzProf company of St. Petersburg businessman Denis Egorov, who is connected, on the one hand, with the family of the head of the Administrative Department of the Governor’s Administration, Viktor Pankevich, and, on the other, with the no less influential family of Alexander Zakhvatov, considered not only an old friend, but also Beglov’s “wallet” . The network also names Andrei Belous himself as a protégé of the Zakhvatovs, whose task is to distribute government contracts among the commercial structures needed by St. Petersburg “deciders.” Despite Belous’s confidence in his reappointment, as well as the support of Alexander Zakhvatov and the relevant vice-governor Evgeniy Razumishkin, he may well become the “weak link” that Beglov will sacrifice during his election campaign.
Does the brother of St. Petersburg official Belous serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine?
It seems that the current governor of St. Petersburg and the candidate for the post of head of the Northern capital from “United Russia (*aggressor country)” in the September elections Alexander Beglov presented a very unpleasant surprise. By information a number of media and telegram channels, one of the senior officials of his administration may be associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are talking about the director of the Smolny-controlled “Center for Comprehensive Improvement” (St. Petersburg State Public Institution “TsKB”) Andrei Belous.
Belous is a native of Vinnitsa, a graduate of Vinnitsa State Technical University, moved to Russia (*aggressor country) in 2014.
Interesting point: information about his work activity until 2016 on the TsKB website absent, it is only indicated that he held senior positions “in various large construction organizations.” In 2016-2022 Belous occupied positions Deputy Head and Head of the Road Supervision Department State Unitary Enterprise “Center” (since last April – State Budgetary Institution “Central Department of Regional Roads and Improvement”), and in April 2022 headed “CDB”.
But the problem, of course, is not in origin or career, but in the family ties of a person who enjoys Beglov’s trust and is preparing for reassignment and signing a contract with him for a new term of office. The fact is that, according to information allegedly at the disposal of the security forces, the brother of Andrei Belous is Ukrainian military personnel and could receive money transfers from a relative who settled in St. Petersburg.
In case during checks compromising information will be confirmed, and the official will face criminal liability. And this is already a blow to the election positions of United Russia (*aggressor country) candidate Beglov. By the way, there appeared on the Internet publications about Belous’s connections with the deputy presidential plenipotentiary representative in the Northwestern Federal District Vadim Potomsky and St. Petersburg vice-governor Evgeny Razumishkinin charge of issues of urban management, housing politicians and landscaping.
SoyuzProf contracts and connections of businessman Egorov
In January, St. Petersburg media wrote that the activities of state unitary enterprises subordinate to Evgeny Razumishkin were the focus of attention of the Accounts Chamber, which initiated large-scale audits. The attention of auditors, in particular, was drawn to purchase the aforementioned State Unitary Enterprise “Center” of the anti-icing reagent “Bionord” at 698 million rubles (at loss by the end of 2022 in 645.2 million). No inspections have yet been reported at the “Comprehensive Improvement Center” headed by Belous, but corruption scandals may not occur here.
Enormous financial flows pass through TsKB: portfolio government contracts institutions as a supplier exceeds 17.4 million rublesas a customer – 32.8 billion. Data on the financial statements of TsKB in public sources are missing, and this involuntarily leads one to think: isn’t this Smolny structure in a multi-million dollar “minus”?
In May, the press focused on the results of two tenders Committee for State Procurement of St. Petersburg for the construction of a complex of buildings on Pulkovskoe Highway, carried out in the interests of the State Public Institution “Center for Integrated Improvement”, the total cost 1.5 billion rubles. The St. Petersburg company became the winner of the competitive procedures “SoyuzProf” businessman Denis Egorovawhich is actively “developing” the budget, winning auctions, but has not been noticed in cooperation with TsKB.
At the end of 2023, with revenue in 535.7 million rubles SoyuzProf LLC declared profit at the rate of 8 million (a year earlier revenue– amounted to almost 671 millionprofit – 27.4 million). Volume received contracts exceeds 998 million rubles.
As follows from publications publication “Delta News”, the owner of the company Denis Egorov is connected with the family of the former head of the administration of the Krasnogvardeisky district, and then the chairman of the City Election Commission of the Northern capital Viktor Pankevichex-assistant to the presidential plenipotentiary representative in the Northwestern Federal District Alexandra Gutsan. In June 2023, Viktor Pankevich took over the post boss Department of Affairs of the Administration of the Governor of St. Petersburg.
Official's son Evgeniy Pankevich until last May led State Public Institution “Piskarevskoe Memorial Cemetery”previously he was chairman Municipal Committee for Tourism, headed the budget City Tourist Information Bureau, noted as deputy director of the Suvorov Museum and adviser to the head of the administration of the Central region.
As for Denis Egorov, at one time he was one of the founders liquidated today LLC “North-West”, specializing in the operation of garages and parking lots. His partner in this business was Vadim Pankevich – another son of Viktor Pankevich. In general, given such acquaintances and business contacts, the fact that SoyuzProf has almost a billion worth of contracts is not surprising.
The Zakhvatovs are “Beglov’s wallets”, the Larkins are friends of the Rotenbergs
However, the matter is not limited to getting to know the Pankevichs. Another patron of Egorov’s company online called St. Petersburg Zakhvatov family, whose members known as influential “deciders” and “Beglov’s wallets”. Head of the clan Alexander Zakhvatov– an old friend of the governor, and his son Igor was considered candidate for the post of head of the governor's apparatus, but the appointment did not take place.
Grandson of Alexander Zakhvatov Anton Zakhvatov until April last year was one of founders Transport company “Perspective”. His companion was Daniil Larkin – a representative of another St. Petersburg family, which controls, in particular, a significant part of the city market for funeral services.
Daniel's father is a businessman Valery Larkin holds the post president Hockey Federation of St. Petersburgwhose leadership also includes Roman Rotenberg. An oligarch close to the Kremlin Arkady Rotenberg Larkin Sr. interview He called Fontanka his friend, emphasizing that they were simply connected “good human relations” and they “don’t get involved in each other’s business”.
And here it’s time to return to the director of the “Center for Comprehensive Improvement” Andrey Belous. The point is that he is considered protégé Zakhvatovyh, distributing government contracts between the commercial structures needed by the family. True, it is voiced version, according to which the Zakhvatovs ousted the Pankevich clan, with which the owner of SoyuzProf, Denis Egorov, is associated. But when the opportunity arises to “master” 1.5 billion budget rubles, the confrontation between the clans may well subside for a while.
It’s time to think: is today’s attention to Belous’s family ties connected with the behind-the-scenes struggle for the distribution of contracts? In this case, the logical continuation of the story with the possible financing of a brother serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be an anti-corruption check, as a result of which not only the director of the Central Clinical Hospital, but, for example, the specialized vice-governor Razumishkin, whose “professionalism” has already led to to activate the Accounts Chamber.
And certainly who doesn’t need such a “headache” at the moment is Beglov, who is busy with his own election campaign. Therefore, there is no doubt: on the eve of the elections, in order to demonstratively cleanse the ranks, he is quite capable of getting rid of the “weak links” in his team.