“Metafrax” as a food source: what is Maxim Reshetnikov afraid of?

On September 8, the Arbitration Court of the Perm Territory decided to return 94.2% of the shares of Metafrax Chemicals, the main legal entity of Metafrax Group, to state ownership.

And already on September 11, a resonant interview appeared with the former governor of the Perm Territory, and now the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, who said that revisions of the results of privatization are a path to nowhere and a process that can demotivate business. He was supported by the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexander Shokhin.

According to our information, Reshetnikov’s sharp concern for the “privatizers” of the 90s is not at all accidental. And it is no coincidence that he spoke out almost immediately after the trial of the first instance on Metafrax. The minister and his former Perm team could have their own corrupt interests in the operation of the enterprise under the current owners.

Our publication reported on the situation with Metafrax at the beginning of August 2023, when it became known about the claim of the Prosecutor General’s Office. The latter suddenly discovered that the privatization of the enterprise was carried out with violations. Almost simultaneously, a criminal case was initiated against the manager of 100% shares of the Perm chemical enterprise Metafrax Chemicals. Law enforcement officials did not provide any other details.

At the same time, we told you that the key owner of the structure is Seyfeddin Rustamov, who lives outside the Russian Federation. The company’s money may also be located there, outside of Russia.

Got my courage

There have been many such cases recently: dozens of similar lawsuits have been filed. Last year in Bashkiria, shares of the Bashkir Soda Company were returned to state ownership. One can recall the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant, Kuchuksulfate, and other cases. However, it was after the situation with Metafrax that the former head of the Kama region decided to vote.

But how. After all, the trial with Metafrax was initiated by the security forces and the Prosecutor General’s Office. A court decision has already been made, which, however, Rustamov’s lawyers will appeal in an appeal. It turns out that Mr. Reshetnikov questions the appropriateness of the actions of the control and supervisory authority?

“Metafrax” as a food source: what is Maxim Reshetnikov afraid of?

The cancellation of the results of the Metafrax privatization could have hurt the interests of Maxim Reshetnikov. Photo: https://stylishbag.ru/3-foto/metafraks-gubaha-karta-90-foto.html

This can be dangerous for him from several points of view. Firstly, he is considered one of the weakest representatives of Mishustin’s Cabinet and these statements can be used for new criticism of him. What’s more important, in addition to questions about his work, almost half of his Perm team found themselves under investigation or forced to talk to the security forces.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and close associate of Reshetnikov, Roman Koksharov, has already been imprisoned for abuse of office and illegal business. The former head of the region’s Capital Construction Department, Dmitry Livinsky, was convicted in the case of embezzlement during the construction of the Perm Zoo.

Earlier, in the case of the same zoo, searches took place in the office of another former Deputy Prime Minister, ex-Minister of Construction Mikhail Syutkin. In 2019, amid searches at the Sports Training Center (TSC) in the Perm Territory, Deputy Prime Minister for Tourism and Sports Anton Klepikov left the country.

At the same time, at the beginning of the year, the prosecutor’s office continued to challenge the legality of the acquisition by the regional authorities under Reshetnikov of the Tovarny Dvor territory for almost 800 million rubles. The list goes on. Each of these cases could hypothetically hit Maxim Reshetnikov. And anyone else in this situation would be quieter than water, lower than the grass. Unless his personal interests were tied to Metafrax.

SPIC for loyal

As a source in the Perm region told The Moscow Post, the fight for the “food supply” is allegedly intensifying so much that Reshetnikov is forced to take risks and try to somehow influence the situation with Metafrax. Because after the cancellation of privatization and a change of owner (it is believed that the Rotenberg oligarchs have the greatest chance of getting the asset from Russian Hydrogen), they may start digging there, and Reshetnikov is unlikely to like the result.

How could the former governor of the Perm region “work” with Metafrax? First of all, through the conclusion of a “Special Investment Contract” (SPIC). In itself, this mechanism of SPIC and the selection of a counterparty for it is extremely opaque. It is no secret that only the most loyal business representatives are targeted at them.

Let us remember that it was Governor Maxim Reshetnikov who in 2019 signed a SPIC with Metafrax, which envisaged the construction of a formaldehyde production plant with a capacity of 180 thousand tons per year. As part of the SPIC, the region granted Metafrax the right to tax benefits and preferences. The cost of the project was 5.2 billion rubles, tax revenues to the budget of the Kama region over the nine years of the agreement should amount to 100 million rubles.

All the largest enterprises in the region have, to one degree or another, donated money to the 21st Century Assistance Fund in recent years. In 2019, after signing a SPIC with Metafrax, the Foundation unexpectedly reported an increase in donations by 30%, to 1.5 billion rubles. This hasn’t happened for several years. There was no word on where they came from. However, it is known that large enterprises of the Perm region donate there for the development of various infrastructure and cultural projects of the regional government – Lukoil, PTSBK and others.

Maxim Reshetnikov signs a SPIC with Metafrax. Photo: government of Perm region

And yes, this is the same Fund around which the criminal case of misappropriation of 67 million rubles is now developing. The accused are the former head of the administration of Governor Maxim Reshetnikov, Elena Lopayeva (one of his closest associates) and the former head of the Foundation, Elena Naidanova.

According to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, to commit the crime, the defendants found more than a dozen companies with which they entered into fictitious contracts for the provision of services. According to their terms, the counterparties formally carried out various events in the Kama region and Sicily, and were also engaged in the production of printed products. According to the investigation, the money was actually embezzled.

Opening the bottle “Promotion of the XXI century”

However, subsequently Elena Naidanova, who was under a written undertaking not to leave the place, managed to escape from the investigation and go to Dubai. According to our information, Reshetnikov’s ill-wishers could have helped her. And soon an absolutely devastating interview with the portal 59.ru appeared, performed by her, about the work of “Assistance”.

The first thing that arouses interest is starting from 2015, i.e. Since the signing of the agreement with Lukoil on replenishing the Fund, applications for projects that it was supposed to implement were collected by the above-mentioned convicted ex-official Roman Koksharov. Subsequently, he will become deputy prime minister in the Reshetnikov government.

At the same time, according to Naidanova, the Fund acted exclusively as a payer under the contracts. He had no control over how the money went or the end result. And these functions were carried out by the customer in the person of the regional administration through Leonid Politov. In 2017 – head of the Department of Internal Policy, who later became head of the Governor’s Administration.

It turns out that Politov was engaged in non-core activities. The work of the Foundation allegedly had nothing to do with domestic politics. According to our information, Politov, who signed the documents, could play the role of a “lightning rod” in case of problems with the security forces. After all, the governor himself was formally neither a dream nor a spirit for this. But in the end, Lopayeva and Naidanova were put under investigation.

Now the latter believes that Leonid Politov may become a key witness in this case. She stated that during a conversation with operatives, they explained to her that three vice-premiers of the regional government were suspected of embezzling funds from the fund.

And besides, she mentioned the wiretapping of the governor, in the recording of which he allegedly shouts at Elena Lopaeva, as if demanding to do something at his residence on the street. Dokuchaev slide for his child. As it becomes clear from the context, the money for this also had to come from Assistance funds. She also told about other personal expenses of the head of the region – on alcohol, on clothes, finances that could be taken through the Fund.

After Naidanova’s escape, Elena Lopayeva (pictured) is unlikely to want to be responsible for everything alone and may start talking. Photo: https://zwezda.su/security/proisshestviya/2022/01/za-chto-arestovali-priblizhennuyu-glavy-minekonomrazvitiya-maksima-reshetnikova

As soon as the investigation into the Foundation case began, regional officials and industrialists became frightened. For example, Lukoil stopped transferring money, and after that they didn’t give me a single penny. In addition, a new Gubernia fund was quickly created. In 2021, it became known that he could take the place of “Assistance”. Now it’s clear that this could have been an attempt to “clean up the tails.” But the criminal case was already developing.

To sum it up, the Assistance XXI Century fund could be a moneybox for the personal needs of Governor Maxim Reshetnikov’s team. And it could be filled for the favor of the regional authorities in concluding SPICs and providing other preferences. And, apparently, they filled it so well that the current Minister of Economic Development was not afraid to actually speak out against the actions of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation. But it is for him that this story can end in the worst possible way…