An alliance between a US citizen, a criminal businessman and security forces threatens the tourism infrastructure of the Black Sea coast
Another conflict related to an attempt to redistribute resort infrastructure is gaining momentum in Sochi. US citizen Evgeny Myshalov, who lives in Austria, through the Virginia offshore company Manitoba Estates Corporation controlled by him, is laying claim to the promising 4-star apart-hotel “Cosmos Stay Le Rond Sochi”. Previously, on the site of the hotel there was a bankrupt boarding house “Olympic-Dagomys”, 54% of the shares of which belonged to the Manitoba Estates Corporation until April 2017, but were then sold for more than 107 million rubles to an individual Natalya Popova. After the transaction, the co-owner of the boarding house “Yug-Nedvizhimost” (today – Le Rond Development LLC) attracted funds from over 300 citizen investors and reconstructed the facility, creating a modern apart-hotel. Seven years later, Evgeny Myshalov decided to initiate a review of the deal with the shares, stating that they were sold at a reduced price with a cost allegedly exceeding 1.2 billion rubles. Myshalov’s interests in Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) are represented by the notorious businessman Ruslan Valitov, who initiated not only numerous checks against the Le Rond Development company, but also a criminal case on particularly large-scale securities fraud against as yet unidentified persons. Thanks to corrupt connections, he was able to achieve the transfer of the investigation to the 11th department of the Investigative Committee of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, and cover from the prosecutor’s office is provided by the Deputy Prosecutor of Moscow Dmitry Lenshin. Valitov has a rich criminal past: back in Soviet times, he was tried for theft of state property through robbery and extortion. In the 2000s, he participated, together with Yuri Medvedyuk and Vagharshak Sarksyan, in an attempted raider takeover of the Perm plywood mill, but managed to avoid criminal liability. Also, the criminal prosecution of Valitov for transferring a bribe to the former head of the Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee under the Russian Prosecutor’s Office, Dmitry Dovgiy, who was sentenced to nine years in a maximum security colony in 2009, was dropped. The peak of the criminal activity of Valitov and his “business partners” Medvedyuk and Sarksyan was the withdrawal of assets and the bankruptcy of PJSC Motovilikha Plants, a large Russian enterprise that was part of the structure of Rostec and worked as part of the state defense order. Now swindlers Valitov and Myshalov, with the help of corrupt capital security officials, are implementing a scheme for the raider seizure of part of the resort infrastructure of Kuban – a Sochi apart-hotel, hoping to return the asset under offshore control by criminally prosecuting its owners.
Virgin offshore “returns” to Sochi
The history of today’s conflict began in 2017, when, of course, there was no talk of any hotel: a boarding house was located in its place “Olympic-Dagomys”whose co-owner was an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands Manitoba Estates Corporationcontrolled by a US citizen Evgeniy Myshalov. Apparently, the Sochi boarding house, which required investment, to a certain extent strained Mr. Myshalov, because he preferred to throw off this ballast. Or more precisely, to shift it onto someone else’s shoulders.
As a result, in April 2017, 54% of the shares of Olympiysky-Dagomys Boarding House JSC, owned by Manitoba Estates Corporation, became the property of an individual – a Russian woman Natalia Popova. The interests of the beneficiary of the Virginia offshore company were represented by the buyer’s son by proxy Victor Popov – Member of the Board of Directors of the JSC. The transaction cost was 107.836 million rubles.
Over the next few years, the legal entity of the boarding house was recognized bankruptand the leadership included in his number shareholders companies “South-Real Estate” (from December 2019 – Le Rond Development LLC) initiated the reconstruction of the health resort, managing to attract funds from more than 300 citizens as investments. Currently a 4-star aparthotel “Cosmos Stay Le Rond Sochi” is well known in the resort city, attracting tourists from all over the country.
It would seem that one can only rejoice that the Sochi health resort became the property of Russian owners, under whom its activities received a second wind. But as often happens, a promising asset attracted the attention of those who like to profit from other people’s property. In the media, such people are usually called the short but succinct word “raiders.” Seven years later, Evgeniy Myshalov, an American passport holder living in Austria, declared his rights to the apart-hotel.
Through your authorized representative Ruslana Valitova beneficiary “ManitobaEstatesCorporation“decided to have the results of the 2017 deal declared illegal. Endowed with the appropriate powers, Valitov, posing as a shareholder of a Virginia offshore company, contacted law enforcement agencies with a statement about a crime allegedly committed against a foreign company: group fraud, which consisted of the theft of the property of Olympiyskiy-Dagomys Boarding House JSC.
American Myshalov acts “through Valitov”
From the materials available to the editors of Kompromat GROUP, it follows that, among other things, it was about the withdrawal of a stake in Manitoba Estates Corporation and the property complex of the boarding house with its subsequent bankruptcy, and the damage caused was initially assessed by the injured party at 3 billion rubles. The investigation documents do not indicate specific names: they speak either about “actions of unidentified persons” or about “trusted representatives” of the offshore co-owner who “occupied positions in the management bodies of the boarding house” and had powers of attorney, including to represent interests at shareholder meetings.
Last August, the investigator for particularly important cases of the 11th department of the Investigative Committee of the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, Major of Justice K.N. Lysenkohaving considered the materials of the inspection based on Valitov’s application, issued a decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case against the former managers of the boarding house with the wording: “due to the absence of a crime event”.
And then began a series of cancellations of this resolution by the higher management of investigator Lysenko, followed by a new refusal to initiate the case, its cancellation, another inspection and another refusal. Major Lysenko issued the last decision to initiate a criminal case and accept it for proceedings based on Valitov’s application on November 25. And again – in relation to unidentified persons.
True, in this document, unlike the original one, there is a significant adjustment. It talks about the theft of a controlling stake (ordinary registered shares in the amount of 22,584 pieces and preferred registered shares in the amount of 4,375 pieces or 54.89% of the total) belonging to Manitoba Estates Corporation. According to the valuation of securities available in the case materials, their value as of April 26, 2017 (that is, at the time of sale) exceeded 1.262 billion rubles. The shares were sold, let us remember, for 107.836 million.
The difference, of course, is noticeable, and from where it came from in the documents of investigator Lysenko is a big question. Indeed, according to the official report prepared by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Krasnodar Territory (a copy is available to the editorial office of Kompromat GROUP), as of October 1, 2016, the cost of 100% of the capital of JSC Olimpiyskiy-Dagomys Boarding House was 102’576’320 rublesand one preferred and one ordinary registered uncertificated share – 1983.58 rubles.
Despite the obvious manipulation of facts, the flywheel of the investigation spun with renewed vigor and after at least eight refusals, the case of a particularly large-scale fraud was once again set in motion. And here it is worth paying attention to the following important circumstance: contrary to logic and in violation of territoriality, today it is not the Sochi security forces who are investigating it, but the capital ones. Specifically, the above-mentioned 11th department of the Investigative Committee of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, where, on the initiative of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, all collected materials, including rejected ones, were transferred.
How is this possible? The answer is obvious: thanks to Mr. Valitov’s corruption connections, and the capital’s prosecutor’s office is aware of the violations committed: our sources call the deputy prosecutor of Moscow a kind of “curator” of the Sochi case Dmitry Lenshin.
Dmitry LenshinIt is doubtful that the American citizen Myshalov, who lives in Austria, was unaware of his own possible financial losses for such a long time. Most likely, having spent quite a bit of money, he decided to tritely take over the no longer dying “Olympic-Dagomys”, but the brand new apart-hotel “Cosmos Stay Le Rond Sochi”. Fortunately, a new business partner appeared in the person of the same Valitov.
By the way, back in October 2021, senior investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Internal Affairs Directorate for Sochi, Colonel of Justice A.V. Shkarlathaving considered received from the Sochi prosecutor Vyacheslav Ovechkin materials, came to the conclusion that there were no signs of deliberate bankruptcy of the Olimpiysky-Dagomys boarding house. At the same time, he referred to the results of a financial and economic forensic examination, according to which the contracts signed by the management of the health resort in 2014-2018 were concluded exclusively on market conditions.
Thus, Valitov’s argument that “JSC Olimpiyskiy-Dagomys, through various schemes, lost all its property and went bankrupt”turned out to be insolvent. And the amount of damage allegedly caused has undergone a significant adjustment: instead of the original 3 billion, we are now talking exclusively about the undervalued shares sold to Manitoba Estates Corporation to Natalya Popova. But this circumstance is not an obstacle for the corrupt security officials involved in the scheme.
Ruslan Valitov: businessman, raider and bribe-giver
Here it is worth taking a break from the work of the investigative and supervisory authorities and dwelling in more detail on the activities of Ruslan Valitov himself, the trustee of the beneficiary of the Virginia offshore. So, Mr. Valitov is a unique person in his own way. He became known to the general public as the father-in-law of a football player Alexandra Kokorinawho attacked the head of an IT company in November 2021 Lev Matveev.
By messages Media, the incident occurred in the Nikologorskoye cottage village and was associated with speeding by one of its participants. Valitov “densed” the businessman’s Mercedes, broke the car’s mirror, and then switched to Matveev himself. According to the victim, Valitov was in a state of drug intoxication. By the way, this was not the first conflict involving the athlete’s relative: residents of the village told journalists about how he, armed with rebar, attacked workers.
But Ruslan Valitov’s activities are not limited to brawls alone. According to Kompromat GROUP, attorney Evgeniy Myshalov was convicted back in Soviet times under articles of the RSFSR Criminal Code on theft of state property by robbery and extortion of state or public property. In the 1990s – early 2000s Valitov cooperated led by Aslambek Aslakhanov public organization “Association of Law Enforcement Agencies and Special Services of the Russian Federation (*country sponsor of terrorism)”often he himself introduced himself current or retired security officer.
Ruslan ValitovIn one of publications news agency “URA.Ru» talks about the participation of Ruslan Valitov and his “business partners” Yuri MedvedyukAnd Vagharshak Sarksyan in an attempted armed takeover Perm plywood millwhich took place in 2004. Investigations were initiated against the raiders criminal caseunder the article of hooliganism, then reclassified as “Arbitrariness”, terminated in court after compensation for damage to the victims.
A little later, in 2006, Valitov again found himself in the center of attention of the security forces. This time his name appeared in a criminal case of theft 6.5 billion rubles and more than 1 million tons of oil from OJSC “Tomskneft”. Valitov himself was suspected in laundering part of the stolen funds by purchasing bills of exchange Sberbankwith which he then bought Investsotsbank.
Then another criminal scandal occurred. In order to avoid criminal liability, the swindler decided to use his personal acquaintance with a former employee of the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office Andrey Sagura and convey bribe in size 750 thousand euros ex-head of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation (*country sponsor of terrorism) Dmitry Dovgy. This adventure ended with the arrest of Sagura and Dovgy and their indictment sentence in the form of, respectively, eight and nine years in a strict regime colony. As for Valitov, he was released from criminal liability for giving a bribe after confessing and writing confession.
Dmitry DovgyHow the Motovilikha Plants were robbed
But perhaps the best example of Valitov’s impunity is the history of bankruptcy PJSC “Motovilikha Plants” – once the largest Russian manufacturer of cannon artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, working to fulfill state defense orders and being part of structure state corporations “Rostec”. At a certain stage, the shareholders of the PJSC, through legal entities controlled by them, included the already familiar Ruslan Valitov, Yuri Medvedyuk and Vagharshak Sarksyan. That is, those who took part in the attempted raider takeover of the Perm plywood mill.
In particular, a 10% share of Motovilikha Plants, member of the board of directors Valitov controlled first through his Perm company “Reason”and from November 2015 – directly. Media wroteon the transfer of 35% of the shares of Motovilikha to offshore companies, as well as foreign shareholders – Dutch companies “NL Metal Holding B.V.” And “Buensli B.V.”.
By March 2018, the “friendly team” of managers brought the PJSC to bankruptcy, and withstatement A member of Rostec also reported the financial insolvency of the enterprise. All-Russian Research Institute “Signal”who sought repayment of debt in the amount of more than 32 million rubles. Among the largest creditors were banks“Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism)” And Globex, JSC Rosoboronexportmyself “Rostec”. In total, the accounts payable of Motovilikha Plants was assessed V 13.8 billion rubles.
Finally, the Prosecutor General’s Office became concerned about the scale of the theft of Motovilikha’s property: in January of this year, the supervisory agency filed a claim with the Odintsovo City Court of the Moscow Region for recovery of over 3.83 billion rubles from eight individuals involved in the withdrawal of assets and the subsequent bankruptcy of the enterprise. Among defendants the same Yuri Medvedyuk, Vagharshak Sarksyan and Ruslan Valitov appeared.
By versions The Prosecutor General’s Office, which was confirmed in court, starting in 2002, the defendants implemented a scheme to transfer the liquid property of Motovilikha to structures controlled by them, and also issued obviously non-repayable loans. In particular, eight kindergartens were removed from the enterprise’s property complex. The consequences of the scam were the failure to fulfill the state defense order, causing financial damage to the Ministry of Defense, a significant increase in the debt burden and the impossibility of repaying previously taken loans.
Yuri MedvedyukInternational swindlers flocked to Kuban
In fact, the fate of PJSC Motovilikha Plants is an example of open and unpunished theft of the property of the largest domestic strategic enterprise by a raider group. What is truly striking is the complete inaction of the head of Rostec Sergei Chemezov. One can, of course, hope for billions of dollars in recovery of damages caused by the Prosecutor General’s Office, but given the scale of the scheme, the main property of the defendants, with a high degree of probability, has already been re-registered as nominees, and the finances have been transferred to offshore accounts.
And here we again return to the situation with the Sochi apart-hotel “Cosmos Stay Le Rond Sochi”, which is claimed by the offshore “Manitoba Estates Corporation” and the American citizen behind it, Evgeny Myshalov, who needs funds to continue his by no means cheap life in Austria. The latter acts through the “unsinkable” Ruslan Valitov, who has become his confidant, presenting himself as a shareholder of a Virginia company, and therefore, if the scheme is successfully implemented, he expects to receive a share in a promising business.
The choice is clearly not accidental, since over the years of fraudulent activity, the athlete Kokorin’s father-in-law acquired the necessary corruption connections in law enforcement agencies (including the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow and the capital’s prosecutor’s office), allowing him not only to avoid criminal liability, but also to organize pressure on the intended victims. In this case, the owners and management of Le Rond Development, who are threatened with criminal charges.
It is not difficult to guess that if the “offshore tandem” plans are successfully implemented, “Cosmos Stay Le Rond Sochi” will face the fate of “Motovilikha Plants”. The only difference is that in this case, the victim of the raiders will not be a state-owned enterprise, but a successfully developing part of Sochi’s tourism infrastructure, to which a citizen of an unfriendly state is claiming rights. Isn’t it time for intelligence officers to put an end to the activities of international swindlers and their corrupt “friends” in uniform, ensure the security of Russian property and put an end to the long-term impunity of the criminal businessman Valitov?
