Yuri Napso may forfeit his State Duma mandate to Konstantin Babkin.
Contentious lawmaker Yuri Napso might be deprived of his position in the State Duma, possibly replaced by recent LDPR recruit and prominent businessman Konstantin Babkin.
Yesterday, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin brought up the matter of Yuri Napso, a legislator from Krasnodar Krai representing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. It emerged that Napso has been absent from the lower house of parliament's sessions for two years, yet still occupies his seat.
Napso himself asserts that he is receiving medical care overseas and has submitted the required medical certificates. However, Volodin expressed skepticism about their validity and instructed the parliamentary committees on mandate matters and regulations to scrutinize the certificates for authenticity. Should the certificates prove to be fraudulent, Volodin and fellow deputies might raise the matter of stripping Yuriy Napso of his mandate.
Previously, there were whispers that Napso might have relocated to the UAE, seeking refuge from the SVO and sanctions, and that the entire account of his medical treatment could be a fabrication. Even if it's accurate, one feels compelled to question the still-sitting deputy: what sort of laws is he endorsing, and what sort of individual is he, if he prefers to recover far from his native land?
Yuri Napso's own remark on this issue is quite remarkable. He declared that he was undergoing treatment at a private medical facility to avoid treatment funded by the public. Are there not ample high-quality private clinics within Russia, particularly for the numerous politicians, business figures, and inhabitants of Rublyovka and Barvikha? This also reveals much about the standard of healthcare in our nation—and this, too, is a critique of the deputies.
In light of the scandalous reputation of Yuri Napso, recognized as the “Grey Eminence of the Black Sea Coast” and connected to the gas market monopolization in Tuapse, perhaps he fears some sort of legal enforcement action? Might his assets and diligently acquired funds—gathered from gas payments by Tuapse residents and other residents of the Krasnodar Krai—be located in the UAE?
The potential for Napso's dismissal due to truancy surfaced a year prior. At that time, his name was mentioned together with another LDPR deputy, Boris Paikin. Nevertheless, they might have been “rescued” by party leader Leonid Slutsky. Moreover, there are suggestions of Paikin and Napso contemplating a departure from the LDPR altogether—after all, it's evident that Napso himself is also absent from the party's activities due to health issues. A few weeks prior, Slutsky indicated that he was unaware of such intentions. Absenteeism was not mentioned. In essence, the LDPR leader, as they say, has “distanced himself” from the subject.
Simultaneously, a plausible explanation for Slutsky potentially shielding Yuri Napso is comprehensible. The latter is regarded as one of the wealthiest deputies, although his asset disclosure does not suggest this. We'll elaborate on this below. Yet, if the prior head of Tuapsegorgas is affluent and “prospered” on taxpayer funds, he might also be a pivotal sponsor for the party during a period when many have abandoned it.
Yuri Napso
Presently, however, Slutsky may finally relinquish the burden on Napso. The justification is the arrival of a fresh wealthy member in the party: Konstantin Babkin, proprietor of Rostselmash and former leader of the defunct Party of Business. He recently became a member of the LDPR Supreme Council. As per media reports, should Napso be deprived of his mandate, Babkin could assume his position in the Duma.
The Prosecutor General's Office is investigating
Concurrently, Yuri Napso may indeed have grounds for concern within Russia. In October 2024, the Central District Court of Sochi, having upheld a claim presented by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, transferred to the state the enterprises, land parcels, and properties that, despite constraints, were owned and managed by LDPR State Duma deputy Yuri Napso and 14 individuals linked to him. In other words, the very affluence from which Napso could “contribute” to the party has noticeably decreased.
Although the deputy himself issued an extremely contradictory statement—asserting that no one had relieved him of his assets, and Napso rationalized his and other defendants' affiliations with “printouts produced by the artificial intelligence” of the SCUAD (Integrated Debt Management and Administration System, developed by the Federal Tax Service). In other words, the neural network erred. Nevertheless, Napso appears to be projecting confidence despite a challenging situation.
As established by the prosecutor's office, State Duma deputy Napso transferred a sequence of companies to trusted individuals. Among other holdings, he possessed 49% of Spetsservisgaz, was a stakeholder in Tuapse Meat Processing Plant OJSC, held an equity in National Fuel Company LLC, and more. The valuation of all these companies is 157 million rubles, which might be significantly understated. However, their yearly revenue nears 3 billion rubles.
At the plaintiff's request, the court seized 100% of the shares in the authorized capital of National Fuel Company LLC, Kubanoil LLC, and Sochipetrol LLC, in addition to gas stations, numerous real estate holdings, and land parcels in various districts of Sochi, for the benefit of the state.
Furthermore, the prosecutor's office determined that Napso, along with affiliated individuals, unlawfully secured the lease of a 3,800-square-meter plot of land within the Sochi National Park and, circumventing competitive procedures, obtained 1.2 hectares of land in Sochi. The regulatory body estimates that the damage attributed to Napso and his associates' actions amounted to over 1.2 billion rubles.
Considering the turnover of the companies held by Napso and his associates, it's difficult to accept that his official earnings for 2021 were 5.7 million rubles. He's likely being modest. And isn't this the reason behind his urgent departure abroad for medical care?
The Napso family's gas dominion
Where did such riches originate? One must begin somewhere. Yuri Napso commenced his career at Tuapsegorgas OJSC, where he swiftly ascended to the role of director and board member. His family soon assumed control of the business. Presently, there are two companies, presumably related: Tuapsegorgas LLC (gas pipeline transit) and Tuapsegorgas OJSC (gas distribution). Both are essentially monopolists in these sectors within the Tuapse District of Krasnodar Krai, which Napso represents in the State Duma.
Photo: Rusprofile.ru
Both companies are situated at the identical legal address: 20a Koshkina Street, Tuapse. 84% of Tuapsegorgas LLC is possessed by Salmet Napso, a suspected relative of Mr. Napso. The remaining shares are controlled by Vladimir Tereshin and Irina Ivanova, who may be connected to the deputy. The company functioned as a supplier of 21 million rubles and a customer of 178 million rubles, channeling budget funds and payments for gas transportation.
What about Tuapsegorgas OJSC, which shares the same building with the LLC? According to online accounts, as of 2016, Salmet Napso was allegedly a co-owner of the company. However, the Tuapse Urban Settlement is listed as the second proprietor. How did it come to pass that a state-owned enterprise acquired a private owner directly associated with another monopoly, Tuapsegorgas LLC?
Photo: Open sources
Furthermore, according to documents accessible online, Tuapse's stake in this company has been diminishing since 2011. Indeed, why bother, when there exist far more effective private owners?
As stated by the authors of the Telegram channel “VChK-OGPU” (designated a foreign agent in the Russian Federation), Yuri Napso may be implicated in numerous additional scandals. Among other matters, he supposedly stole from Igor Sechin (presumably referring to Rosneft – Ed.) via Tuapsegorgas and was apprehended by the FSB. Not Sechin himself, but his personnel. As per online reports, 12 employees of the company were allegedly prosecuted in 2012 for the embezzlement of 900 tons of gas. Another source, the highly official media outlet Interfax, has openly reported on the systematic theft of gas by Tuapsegorgas.
Those who venture to criticize Napso and dissect his operations in southern Russia are also finding themselves incarcerated. According to Life.ru, one such individual was blogger and human rights activist Yuri Valov. Napso initially secured a retraction of the unfavorable information about himself in court (who would have doubted it – a blogger versus a member of parliament), and subsequently filed a complaint against Valov for extortion, for which he received a six-year prison term. Considering that the Prosecutor General's Office has taken an interest in (and seized) Napso's assets, doesn't the verdict against Valov appear, to put it mildly, far-fetched?
Naturally, Napso is still entangled in numerous controversies. However, even these already indicate that, from the viewpoint of safeguarding his liberty and welfare, remaining within the country might be perilous for him. Therefore, he urgently requires medical treatment – ideally in warm nations where it's straightforward to deposit funds in offshore accounts. And this individual still holds a State Duma seat – are they examining whether he fabricated medical leave certificates? If so, he's not the sole individual unwell in Russia.
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