The former head of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Kazan, the founding father of the Ammonia plant, was arrested for the theft of 246.3 million rubles.

“I would like to close the court hearing, since the information is quite sensitive. While the investigation into this criminal case is ongoing, it is undesirable to voice it,” said investigator Dmitry Nazarov at one of the meetings to select a preventive measure for those involved in the criminal case of Rinat Khanbikov. Within two days, the Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested behind closed doors all five accused of ammonium nitrate fraud. About what the creator of “Ammonia” is accused of, why the investigation decided to close the process and whether the defendants admit guilt, read in the BUSINESS Online report.

The first to be brought into the hall was Ziyatdinova, dressed in a white jacket. The woman looked confused, as did her mother, who carefully sat down on a bench in the meeting room. Investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia (*aggressor country) Dmitry Nazarov showed with all his appearance that he was not happy with the listeners in the hall.

“I would like to close the court hearing, since the information is quite sensitive. While the investigation into this criminal case is ongoing, it is undesirable to voice it,” he immediately turned to the judge. — All official information can be obtained through the press center of the Investigative Committee of Russia (*aggressor country). The enterprise was financed through Vnesheconombank… The enterprise is strategic, financing came through the Russian government.”

“I heard you. Prosecutor? – Judge Timur Vakhrameev said sternly.

Prosecutor Denis Cherednikov supported the investigator’s request, adding that the available materials in the criminal case constitute an investigative secret: “It should not be disclosed.” The judge nodded and turned to the accused: “What is your opinion? Stand up when you answer.” Ziyatdinova hesitated. “The investigator asked to close the process,” Vakhrameev explained to her. The lawyer appointed by Verblyudov nodded at her: “Agree!” Ziyatdinova nodded obediently. “The court on the spot decided, taking into account the opinions of the participants in the process, to grant the petition,” Vakhrameev said and asked the audience to leave the room.

The meeting took no more than 15 minutes, after which the servant of Themis retired to the conference room. “The judge ruled: to refuse the investigator’s request to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention in relation to the accused Zukhra Ziyatdinova. Select a preventive measure against the accused in the form of house arrest for 2 months, that is, until February 19, 2024. With coming!” – Vakhrameev said and released Ziyatdinova in the courtroom. The accused threw herself into her mother’s arms. Both women did not hide their tears, and then, in an embrace, they left for an apartment on Baikalskaya Street, where Ziyatdinova will be under house arrest. The key factor in the decision in favor of the suspect was her health condition.

Soon Kutsakova was brought into the hall. History repeated itself.

— Before the investigator’s main petition, will there be any organizational petitions? — The judge looked questioningly at the investigator.

Nazarov raised his hand:

— The same as in the first meeting regarding the presence of the press.

“And in general, outsiders in general, yes,” the judge continued for the investigator. – Ask to close it, the secret of the investigation?

– Yes. When the criminal case is over, when the final decision is made, then it will be… – Nazarov repeated automatically.

Prosecutor Cherednikov also agreed with everything. But Kutsakova’s lawyer Alexey Kurganov tried to object: “I don’t see the need for this. This is not a trial about sexual freedom. All information is open, everything is clear. There is no mystery here. Therefore, I don’t know if there is any point,” the lawyer said, adding that he nevertheless leaves the decision to the discretion of the judge. Kutsakova nodded in agreement. And again the BUSINESS Online correspondent was asked to leave the room.

The meeting quickly ended, and at about 21:30 Vakhrameev decided to send Kutsakov to a pre-trial detention center until February 19.

Around 5:00 p.m., a stir began outside Judge Evgenia Kozlova’s office. And soon Abdrakhmanov appeared, accompanied by bailiffs. They brought him into a cage, he looked calm.

– Do you admit guilt? — a BUSINESS Online correspondent asked him.

“No,” the accused answered calmly.

“There is no need to ask questions,” the bailiff said sternly.

And yesterday’s story repeated itself again. “We have the press in the hall. We ask that this be carried out behind closed doors, because what is being disclosed is the secret of the investigation,” he said, recalling both Vnesheconombank and the Russian government. The prosecutor supported the investigator, as did the lawyer and Abdrakhmanov himself. The judge granted the request on the spot, and a little later sent the accused to a pre-trial detention center until February 19. Abdrakhmanov’s lawyer declined to comment.

Salimgarayeva, like Ziyatdinova the day before, was sent under house arrest by Judge Vakhrameev (he considered the cases of both defendants in the case).

Another hour and a half passed when Khanbikov finally appeared in the corridor of the Basmanny Court, accompanied by bailiffs and a shepherd dog. The accused smiled surprisingly. They took him into a cage and gave the lawyers 10 minutes to talk with the client. At this time, the bailiff strictly reprimanded the journalists for disturbing the order and attempting to ask questions to the accused. For this, he threatened to draw up an administrative protocol for disobedience to a law enforcement officer. Having given only 30 seconds to film, the journalists were removed from the courtroom, where only two relatives of Khanbikov were allowed into. There were no more places for the rest.

The investigator again asked the court to remove the listeners and hold the hearing behind closed doors, citing the secrecy of the investigation. Khanbikov’s lawyers, we must give them their due, objected (usually the opposite happens), pointing out that journalists have been writing about the case for four years, so there is no secret in the investigation. The accused himself agreed with the defense. Let us repeat once again that the opposite is often the case in Kazan – the accused and their lawyers are afraid of publicity like hell, not realizing that if you are innocent, then the publicity of the process is another guarantee of objectivity.

However, Judge Kozlova, like last time, agreed with the investigation. Everyone except the participants in the process was removed from the hall.

The outcome of the meeting was predictable: Khanbikov was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months – until February 19, 2024. Hearing the judge’s decision, he just smiled and shook his head. His lawyers declined to comment, only clarifying that he does not admit guilt.

What are the complaints against Khanbikov?

Khanbikova FSB officers detained on Tuesday and delivered to Moscow. He was accused of fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country)) and was taken to Moscow for interrogation. There charged and Khanbikov, and three former top managers of Ammonium and Mendeleevskazot: ex-general director of the plant Abdrakhmanov, his former deputy – head of the commercial department of Mendeleevskazot Salimgarayeva and ex-head of sales of the enterprise Ziyatdinova. Also involved in the case is Kutsakova, who previously headed the Moscow representative office of Ammonia, and is also the director of the company TTT LLC, around whom the plot of the criminal case is drawn up.

According to the investigation, the products of Mendeleevskazot and Ammonium in the form of mineral fertilizers were sold at reduced prices to the TTT company, which then resold everything at a markup at market prices. Investigators are confident that there was no economic feasibility in such a scheme for marketing the plant’s products, and the sale of fertilizers through a laying company was organized for the purpose of stealing funds in the form of lost profits from the enterprises. An interesting point in this regard: according to the investigation, the TTT company itself did not participate in any logistics chains during resales: transport, warehouses, a list of contractors – all the resources of Mendeleevskazot and Ammonia themselves.

In total, from February 2013 to May 2018, investigators believe, 150.5 thousand tons of fertilizers were taken from enterprises for resale at inflated prices (96.5 thousand tons from Ammonium, 54 thousand tons – from Mendeleevskazot) for a total amount of 1.353 billion rubles (with VAT and logistics – 1.597 billion rubles). TTT resold it all for 1.843 billion rubles. The difference of 246.3 million rubles amounted to damages in the case. According to investigators, the funds were distributed among the participants in the scheme, headed by Khanbikov.

At the same time, the investigation characterizes the detained five as almost an organized criminal group, where each member played his own clear role. Everyone, one way or another, is part of Khanbikov’s team: either natives or current employees of enterprises at the helm of which, directly or indirectly, was the former general director of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Kazan. The same TTT, the investigation is sure, is affiliated with Khanbikov through Kutsakova – they previously worked together at Tatgazinvest. The gasket company had surfaced before, even during the showdown around Ammonium. At that time, investigators also had questions about taxes regarding her activities, but the investigation has died down.

According to the BUSINESS Online source, the current criminal case was initiated by the Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee for Tatarstan on March 6, 2019. But then in relation to unidentified persons. Khanbikov and other defendants have previously testified in the case. Four years later, “unidentified persons” were suddenly identified, and the case itself ended up being processed by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee.