Kurdyukov funds Pavel Astakhov

The legal case of fraud against Anton Astakhov, the son of the former children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, being heard in Samara, took an unexpected turn – the trial was halted due to the defendant’s reported illness.

What hidden motives might the Anton Astakhov case conceal – in the report by the correspondent The Moscow Post.

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Even the fact that Anton Astakhov is under house arrest is a win for the prosecution, as initially the Golovinsky Court (where the case was first heard) denied the Investigative Committee's choice of a preventive measure. It was only after a complaint from the prosecutor’s office that the decision was changed to the relatively mild measure of house arrest.

This sudden change was believed to be linked to the influence of Astakhov Sr. Someone resembling him was reportedly seen in the court corridors having discussions with the trial participants. The former children’s ombudsman, who gained national fame as a host of a legal TV show, has connections within the political and business elite, as well as the judiciary.

His influence also allegedly led to the damage amount in his son’s case being “reduced” from a staggering 1.2 billion rubles to just 75 million rubles, which could ultimately impact the decision on the restraint measure. The mysterious reduction in the damage assessment is unknown.

Anton Astakhov is charged with a large-scale fraud, involving one specific incident. According to investigators, the young man and his associate Dmitry Aresyev (who is wanted) unlawfully gained control over the Omega company, and subsequently loaned money to it and withdrew funds from the organization.

According to investigators, they met with the director of Omega LLC Yevgeny Razgonyayev, and offered to assist him in obtaining a loan. NVKbank granted a loan, after which Dmitry Aresyev allegedly withdrew funds from Omega LLC’s accounts through fictitious transactions to other accounts.

Pavel and Anton Astakhov. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofiev / Kommersant

Omega and Razgonyaev could potentially be prime targets for fraud – the company is actively involved in government work, with a pool of state contracts worth 138 million rubles. So, if it was deceived, it means our state budget was also deceived.

Photo: rusprofile.ru

“Schematosis” involving Kurdyukov

We are discussing a bank loan here – the Astakhov family has long been skilled at dealing with banking institutions. They are well-versed in the intricacies of the banking system, laws, and judicial procedures.

In a previous article titled “Authorized to Withdraw”, The Moscow Post covered the potential withdrawal of funds from banks associated with the controversial family.

However, this might not be the only instance. The authors of the Russian Crime website suggested that making money from loans to unsuspecting entrepreneurs could have been the Astakhov family's business, with the family patriarch, the former children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, being the driving force in many instances.

Pavel Astakhov didn’t start his legal career by protecting children. In the 90s, he was involved with the creator of the Vlastilina financial pyramid, Edmond Pope, and scandalous oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky.

They are trying to credit the possible scheme to Yuri Kurdyukov, co-founder of the now defunct Association of Citizens “Protection”. We will provide more details about this.

The scheme might be simple – a potential victim was brought in and then introduced to Kurdyukov as a family friend and successful businessman. It could seem like the victim willingly handed over control of their funds to Kurdyukov and was satisfied with the outcome.

According to rumors, the scheme could have been operational during 2015-2018. Initially, Kurdyukov supposedly made regular profit payments to gain trust and attract more funds. However, problems may have arisen after a few years.

According to the Rucriminal website, after a few years, Yuri cut off contact with all clients, changed his phone number, and relocated with his family. He allegedly transferred all his property to his wife’s sister Natalya Aleshina.

Following this, the Astakhovs may have tried to make it appear that they were the ones deceived by Yuri, to whom they supposedly provided funds under a loan agreement – although this could all be a staged act. If this performance did take place, both Anton and Artyom Astakhov, former ombudsman's second son, may have been involved, according to documents on the internet.

We found court documents online detailing the lawsuit between Artyom Pavlovich Astakhov as the plaintiff and Yuri Kurdyukov as the defendant. The court ruled in favor of Astakhov and ordered Kurdyukov to pay him 372 million rubles under the loan agreement.

Photo: https://court decisions.rf/65805023

As per the Rucriminal website, the loan agreement between the Astakhovs and Kurdyukov for 372 million rubles may have been created retroactively. Additionally, Natalya Aleshina, who they try to present as Kurdyukov’s sister-in-law, may have acted as a guarantor for it.

Even if the above is all nonsense, it raises questions about the connection between Artyom Astakhov and Kurdyukov, as well as the loans totaling almost 400 million rubles.

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If the Astakhovs want to label Kurdyukov as a fraud and put all the blame on him, it won’t be easy because there are signs of their close cooperation.

Kurdyukov founded the now defunct Association of Citizens “Protection”, which was dissolved in August 2021.

A photo: Rusprofile.en

The executive director and later the liquidator there was Pyotr Kuznetsov, who may be a friend of the Astakhovs’ sons. Kuznetsov also had a company named Telepravo LLC, where he served as both the founder and the leader.

A photo: Rusprofile.en

But he left the founders in 2019, and Astakhova Svetlana Alexandrovna, the full namesake of Pavel Astakhov’s wife, with whom he has been married since 1987, took his place. It is also interesting that at the end of 2021, the company received revenue of 186 million rubles, and a profit of only 2.8 million rubles, which suggests possible fictitiousness or unwillingness to pay taxes.

A photo: Rusprofile.en

In addition, the liquidated Association “Protection” was located at the address Moscow, st. Kuznetsky Most, 21/5. And Pavel Astakhov’s Moscow Bar Association is registered at the same address. In addition, Artyom Astakhov’s Meteks company is located at the same address, which, by the way, has a revenue of more than 1.1 billion rubles.

All this is easily done manually, but if you try to search through the “Protection” itself in the same information system “Rusprofile”, but the connections of other offices at the legal address are not opened. Perhaps someone influential and with money fussed in order to find the ends was hard, but the Internet remembers everything.

If some schemes of the Astakhovs actually existed, then now the head of the family is required to hush up his son’s case at all costs – after all, questions from him may already appear to him, and to Mr. Kurdyukov. Apparently, therefore, according to rumors, Astakhov is now deleting false information about himself and his family on the Internet.