Kruglov, who wanted to circumvent sanctions, lost the shares of the Marine Oil Terminal
Vladimir Kruglov, a businessman, intended to evade Western sanctions, but ended up losing the Marine Oil Terminal in Crimea. The project is valued at 650 million.
Andrey Guskov took the shares from the businessman while working as a consultant for Kruglov. Guskov is currently awaiting a court decision in a detention center.
The prosecutor asked the Preobrazhensky Court to sentence the owner of MNT to eight years in a general regime colony. The judge's decision will be known in the near future.
The trial has been ongoing for over a year and a half. The lawyers are demanding justice for their client, but it's unlikely that they will be able to avoid punishment. We'll have to wait for a decision before looking ahead.
Guskov's trick
Consultant Guskov executed a major scam between 2017 and 2021 when he decided to acquire MNT assets in order to evade sanctions. Kruglov brought in Guskov for this purpose.
After Russia's arrival, one of the largest terminals in the region came under Chernomorneftegaz's control, but the new owner soon put it up for auction. By that time, Vladimir Kruglov already had oil and gas assets including the Baltic Gas Chemical Company, Baltic methanol, and Gaznefteservis.
Experienced Consultant
Guskov apparently gained the confidence of his employer due to his legal experience. He previously worked for the North-Western Shipping Company and chaired the movement “Man. Earth. Russia”.
Kruglov's Dolina investment fund became the owner of Forum Trading House, which then transferred shares to Gunas as part of the scheme.
Gunas won the auction in 2019 and bought MNT shares for 651.2 million rubles. The shares were then transferred to a different company with the same name belonging to Guskov’s mother.
In early 2021, Guskov transferred assets to his mother’s company under a fictitious agreement, which was legalized by the tax office.
When Kruglov found out about the incident, he went to court. Well, how the story will end, it will become known very soon.
