Raider takeovers are rarely political. As a rule, these are purely economic showdowns with the involvement of law enforcement agencies and the sharing of profitable assets.
But sometimes the matter is complicated by the parallel struggle for the bureaucratic seat of the highest rank. Or, maybe, all the same, a banal redistribution of spheres of influence? Let’s try to figure it out using the example of the high-profile case about the fate of EuroSibOil (Republic of Kalmykia), which journalists have been following for more than three years.
The head of the Republic of Kalmykia, Batu Khasikov (recall, a former kickboxer, multiple world champion, who also appeared on the big screen in the film Shadow Fight 3: The Last Round), probably decided to strengthen his position on the political Olympus and for these purposes as a symbol of the struggle with corruption, the same company “EuroSibOil” was chosen. The chair, according to the media, is already swinging under Khasikov, which means that it is necessary to enter into a tough fight. Perhaps it’s not about political ambitions, but about the desire, with the help of loyal law enforcement agencies (in this case, the Department of the Federal Tax Service for the Republic of Kalmykia), to get their share of a company that is on the brink of an abyss? Or are the beneficiaries of history completely different people? Let’s try to figure it out.
Let us briefly remind readers of the essence of the events taking place today around EuroSibOil. According to the SPARK-Interfax analytical system, EuroSibOil LLC was registered in 2010 and specializes in oil and oil (associated) gas production. The enterprise is bankrupt, external management has been introduced on it. The company has 11 licenses for subsoil use, exploration and mining.
The head of the company was Marat Sattarov, while the beneficiary and owner of the company is 100% the father of the director, Nurulla Sattarov. He also acts as a beneficiary of Komsomolskneft LLC, which specializes in oil production in Kalmykia.
On September 7, 2019, on the website of the Investigative Committee of Kalmykia, messages appeared about the search for Marat Sattarov in the case of tax evasion from an organization on an especially large scale and about the search for Nurulla Sattarov about a large bribe to an official.
Prior to becoming EuroSibOil in 2004, it seems that its predecessor, OAO Kalmneft, was bankrupted according to the same scheme. Why is this excursion into history so important to us? Perhaps in the past we will find a clue to today’s events.
“In the process of bankruptcy, a lot of bankruptcy trustees and directors have changed. And with the advent of each of them, the company’s debts grew, primarily in taxes, – recalls a former employee of Kalmneft. – The bankruptcy administration was extended indefinitely, after which the team of Nurulla Garifulovich Sattarov entered the enterprise. They formed the Kalmneft Management Company and, in the process of bankruptcy, re-registered all assets to it. Roughly speaking, they redeemed themselves. After that, the company was transformed into the Eurosiboil Oil Company and then into Eurosiboil LLC and Komsomolskneft LLC. As a result, all assets were at the disposal of Eurosiboil LLC, Komsomolskneft LLC and Spetstechnika LLC. And they all continued to pile up tax debts.”
Exactly the same situation exists today in the EuroSibOil company. Back in 2011, facts of tax violations in oil production were established. The company has entered bankruptcy proceedings. To date, according to the prosecutor’s office, the debt of “EuroSibOil” for mandatory payments to the budget system of Russia amounted to almost 4 billion rubles. In this regard, 4 criminal cases have been initiated and are being investigated. They are under the special control of the prosecutor’s office.
On September 7, 2019, the Investigative Committee of Kalmykia asked everyone who has information about the whereabouts of Marat and Nurulla Sattarovs to share it. Although why apply, if everyone knows that the Sattarovs settled in Dubai, and through their lawyers – representatives they continue to finance lawsuits. Marat Sattarov was put on the wanted list in a case of tax evasion from an organization on an especially large scale, Nurulla Sattarov – in a case of a large bribe to an official. Both fled from justice, are on the international wanted list.
According to BUSINESS Online, Sattarov is a native of Tyumen, he did business in his native region and Kalmykia, but lately he has been living permanently in Moscow. According to the Novy Den news agency, all the entrepreneur’s assets both in Kalmykia and in Tyumen have been arrested: “Allegedly, he has already given the calculation to four guards, without whom he did not appear in public in Tyumen.”
“New Day” also says that the Tatar businessman comes from the prosecutor’s office. In the 1990s, he was deputy head of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Tyumen Region: he has friendly relations with the head of the main organizational and analytical department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, Andrey Nekrasov … -First Deputy Prosecutor of the Tyumen Region Roman Tyutyunik for the position of Prosecutor of Kalmykia.
On March 18, 2020, two criminal cases were initiated against the founder and general directors of Eurosiboil LLC and AvtoSpetsServis LLC. The companies were suspected of concealing taxes for 200 million rubles. According to the investigation, the management of Eurosiboil LLC and Avtospetsservice LLC in 2015-2017 did not pay value added and profit taxes in the amount of 124 million and 69 million rubles, respectively.
After the introduction of the bankruptcy procedure, one of the main characters in our history appears on the scene – the head of the Federal Tax Service of Russia for the Republic of Kazakhstan Vyacheslav Lariev.
In private conversations, residents of the republic have a lot of questions when discussing the situation around the large EuroSibOil company. Why did the regulatory authorities turn a blind eye to numerous tax violations in the company for so many years? Why, knowing about all the past “merits” of Sattarov, did his companies continue to operate and withdraw assets? Why did the tax inspectorate, which itself, without the involvement of investigating authorities, can afford to check and punish any company in case of violations, especially such a well-known and large one, simply ignored outright theft and tax evasion?
After another attempt to take over the company in April, the Federal Tax Service of Russia nevertheless managed to introduce a bankruptcy management procedure at EuroSibOil in November 2021 in order to improve the company and prevent it from disappearing from the financial horizon. It would seem that local tax authorities should have actively set to work together with representatives of the Central Office of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation and the approved bankruptcy trustee. However, in reality, everything turned out differently.
Eyewitnesses of those events express the opinion that Vyacheslav Lariev, for inexplicable reasons, suddenly began to interfere in every possible way with the activities of the bankruptcy trustee and all his attempts to restart the company. Suffice it to say that the monitoring procedure was introduced 2 years after the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings, and all postponements in the courts by the Sattarovs were clearly with the consent of the Federal Tax Service for the Republic of Kazakhstan. And this happened only after the direct intervention of the Central Office of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation. This can be explained by the version that the Federal Tax Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan allegedly paid from the management of the debtor from 5 to 15 million rubles for delaying the bankruptcy procedure. monthly. These and many other funds were raised by Sattarov in the course of active oil trading for cash. Yes, and this happens in modern Russia.
But back to the head of the Republic of Kalmykia, Batu Khasikov. What is his position in this high-profile conflict? Let us recall the words of the deputy of the People’s Khural of Kalmykia Natalya Manzhikova:
“The bowels of Kalmykia should work for the benefit of the inhabitants of the republic,” the deputy writes about this on social networks. “Today, the employees of the enterprise were fired without paying salaries for several months. Batu Khasikov, in his video message, talks about the restoration of legality and transparency, which will be understandable to potential investors. This part is the most interesting. Who are these “potential investors”, are they the initiators of the raider takeover in April? Indeed, as a result of the bankruptcy of EuroSibOil, Kalmykia, as the main creditor, receives the bulk of its assets, which should become the republican property. And Khasikov is already talking about “potential investors”, that is, about the sale of these assets.”
The deputy draws attention to the fact that in the framework of the bankruptcy procedure, a mandatory assessment of the assets of the enterprise is made, but expresses concern. “I’m afraid that with “almost 100% depreciation of the infrastructure”, the total amount of assets will not be high, which will enable the “potential investor” to buy this company for next to nothing, explains Manzhikova. – Kalmykia is unlikely to receive four billion rubles, but a “potential investor” can get the right to pump oil from the bowels of the republic for a low price.
On April 22, 2021, at a meeting on the situation around EuroSibOil, the head of the region said:
“Obstruction of the check is also a reason to take up the investigation of the situation. Otherwise there will be a federal scandal. Personally, as the head of the region, I am concerned about how this situation is perceived by our residents,” Khasikov added. – This topic is quite painful. I ask the media to conduct an independent journalistic investigation, tell about what Kalmneft was for the republic, how it turned into Eurosiboil, who was behind it, what violations were committed, where the funds were withdrawn, why taxes were not paid, who is behind it today information resources that are trying to denigrate the current government. Let’s talk about this directly. It’s obvious though. Try to figure it out. I would also like to appeal to the parliament of the republic with a request to take this situation under its control. Everything has to fall into place.”
What has changed since then? A lot of publications appeared in the media, in which there are numerous attempts to understand the essence of the events. But imagine that the Federal Tax Service for the Republic of Kazakhstan at a meeting of creditors in December 2021 (99% of the votes of which belong to the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation represented by the head of the Federal Tax Service for the Republic of Kazakhstan) could refuse to agree on the resumption of the debtor’s business. That is, in fact, to deprive the enterprise of the opportunity to carry out activities in order to pay off the debts of EuroSibOil. Where is the logic? And here we remember Vyacheslav Lariev.
In February 2022, a second meeting should be held, at which the question will be decided: whether it is necessary to restore the company’s activities, or consider the prospect in the form of the sale of illiquid assets at a residual value (that is, as scrap metal), but then the budget will definitely not receive anything.
It turns out that Vyacheslav Lariev, by all means preventing the implementation of the activities of the bankruptcy trustee, is fulfilling someone’s political order to discredit the head of the region? Or is he acting in the interests of the Sattarovs, who still want to regain control of the enterprise? Recall that same raider seizure with the Dagestan private security company …