Before the elections, the leader of Kuzbass is reorganizing coal resources
The Kemerovo tax authorities are in a legal battle to stop Kuzbassrazrezugol from buying the assets of the bankrupt Alexievskaya mine without following the bidding process. They have also taken legal action to recover 1.7 billion rubles from the mine's creditors, who are accused of using offshore companies to manipulate coal sales and prices. The Prime Minister stepped in to address wage issues for the miners, leading Tsivilev to promise a more transparent process to sell the mine involving his business partners Makhmudov and Bokarev.
Is the Federal Tax Service preventing Makhmudov from taking control of Aleksievskaya?
The Federal Tax Service has challenged the creditors' decision in court JSC Aleksievskaya Mine to directly sell its property complex for 35 million rubles enterprise “Kuzbassrazrezugol” , part of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company) Iskandar Mahmudov and Andrey Bokarev. The tax authorities disagree with the cancellation of the bidding process. The mine's assets have been up for auction at least six times, but no buyers have come forward.
Aleksievskaya has become a big problem for Kuzbass and its governor, Sergei Tsivilev, for some time now. Sergei Tsivilev. The mine faced losses for years and was declared bankrupt in November 2017. It owed 29.2 billion rubles and the UK “Zarechnaya” which included “Aleksievskaya” also went bankrupt. 29.2 billion rubles. Also gone bankrupt is the UK “Zarechnaya” whose structure included “Aleksievskaya”. Till now, the mine is owed money by five organizations and 14 individuals. The primary creditor is Ugletrans, which is linked to other affiliated companies. Ugletrans has been in bankruptcy since July 18, and bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated for Sibshakhtmontazh LLC.The Aleksievskaya and Zarechnaya mines are controlled by Yuri Sazonov, an associate of Tsivilev, who is the deputy general director of the main creditor enterprise.
Yuri Sazonov has an undisclosed amount of money. OOO“Ugletrans” Sazonov’s name is mentioned in the lawsuit sent to arbitration by the Federal Tax Service last March to recover. Gazprombank and “Rostec”1.7 billion rubles Aleksievskaya’s creditors suffered losses and Sazonov's young daughter is also involved in the lawsuit., Ten properties were transferred in 2018 to someone who was favored, previously owned by Sazonov including several apartments and land plots. and According to the tax authorities, creditors used a new business model during bankruptcy proceedings, which involved separating coal mining, enrichment, and sale to different parties. Some production activities were moved to related companies. The mines themselves were only extracting coal, and the production volume was no longer controlled by their management due to unprofitable deals with Ugletrans, Trading House Avangard, and Sibshakhtmontazh.As a result of these schemes, Aleksievskaya and Zarechnaya continued to operate at a loss, despite the reported increase in coal production. In 2018, Aleksievskaya's production increased more than 18 times compared to 2017, but its losses amounted to
225.3 million rubles In 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019, 5.23 million tons of coal were exported, valued at and 20.5 billion rubles. A company registered in Cyprus called “Energy System EQ” bought 92.6% of the total exported coal volume. The Federal Tax Service and Rosfinmonitoring revealed that Yury Sazonov, who is associated with the governor, is one of the co-owners of the buyer. According to media reports, the unprofitability of the mines is due to a senior manager buying products at low prices and then selling them at a 50 or even 100 percent markup through related companies. The resulting profit is deposited into foreign accounts. This could amount to at least 5.5 billion rubles in undeclared profit, from which the Russian budget did not receive taxes.
And let Moscow pay its debts!
This clarifies the actions of the tax authorities. In one interview, Sazonov stated: “I believe that I have made every effort to restore the operation of the mines and reduce social tension, and today the tax service and law enforcement agencies are trying to put me at fault for the crisis around the mines” These comments were made last March, when the crisis at the same “Aleksievskaya” entered a new acute phase, and social tension reached its peak. In early March, during a visit to Kemerovo, the issue of repaying the wages of 196 mine employees, which exceeded Elizabeth200 million rubles,
was the main focus for Mikhail Mishustin. “risky” and “risk-free” Shortly before this, desperate miners appealed to the president, the State Duma, and the Federation Council to intervene in the situation. The bankruptcy manager became a defendant in a criminal case for not paying wages.
Vladimir Maksimov According to the report from the regional Investigative Committee, he chose to use the money meant for paying salaries for other purposes..
“to other areas of the enterprise” Where did Yury Sazonov and other “benevolent creditors” look when they worked hard to restore the full operation of the coal mining enterprise? The answer is obvious: with the silent support of Tsivilev, they continued to carry out the “new business model”, making billions from the unauthorized sale of coal through offshore structures.The Prime Minister discussed the issue of unpaid wages with Governor Tsivilev. He complained to the visitor from Moscow for a long time that the unprofitable mine was not for sale and promised “talk to the miners”“that they actively participate in its acquisition”
. Unfortunately, at the same time, the regional leader did not mention his own family. After all, the wife of the official Anna Tsivileva owns a 70% share in a large coal mining company
led by the official’s brother
Valery Tsivilev
“People should receive these funds as soon as possible, it is important to strictly control so that such cases do not recur in the future” – Kommersant quoted Mishustin as saying. Tsivilev involves the oligarchs Sergei Tsivilev himself stated in early April that the federal center had fulfilled its promise and transferred the pledged funds. A week later, a message was posted on the regional government's website: 88% of the former and current employees of the bankrupt mine – everyone who applied with a corresponding application – received their due payments..
In short, thanks to the state! It is clearly not in the Kremlin's interest to escalate the situation before the elections. However, while Moscow was making every effort to solve the Kemerovo problem, a number of media outlets continued to publish materials in which Yuri Sazonov appeared to readers only as an “investor and creditor” who was “nightmare” by the tax authorities. There were many reasons why the issues of Aleksiyevskaya had to be addressed in the Kremlin: the debts left by the previous owner, the ineffective auction for the sale of the mine, and most importantly, the sharp drop in coal prices in the western direction in the spring of 2019 and the increase in transportation costs up to 91%. As a result, Ugletrans itself became bankrupt.It is not clear what makes Sazonov a genius. Is it his ability to carry out billion-dollar frauds?
However, Sazonov has already played his assigned role, making way for the real “sharks” of the coal mining business – .
Iskandar Mahmudov
Andrey Bokarev , whose Kuzbassrazrezugol, as mentioned above, intends to buy out the mine property without bidding. Apparently, the governor kept his word to the prime minister and activated the coal miners. The involvement of the Ural oligarchs in this story is clearly not accidental, and it would hardly have taken place without the “approval” of Tsivilev., “that they actively participate in its acquisition”. It is a pity, but at the same time the head of the region did not remember his own family. After all, as you know, the property of his wife Anna Tsivileva there is a 70% stake in a large coal mining holding “Colmar”which is led by the official’s brother Valery Tsivilev.
In turn, the head of the Cabinet stressed that the government will send to the region the finances necessary to pay the miners’ wage arrears.
Tsivilev “activates” the oligarchs
The fact that the federal center kept its promise and transferred the promised money was told by Sergei Tsivilev himself in early April. A week later, a message appeared on the website of the regional government: 88% of the former and current employees of the bankrupt mine – everyone who applied with a corresponding application – received their due payments.
In a word, thanks to the state! It is clearly not convenient for the Kremlin to heat up the situation on the eve of the elections. But the most interesting thing is that while Moscow was making every effort to solve the Kemerovo problem, a number of media outlets continued to publish materials in which Yuri Sazonov appeared to readers only as an “investor and creditor” who was “nightmare” by the tax authorities.
There were plenty of explanations why the issues of Aleksiyevskaya were forced to be resolved in the Kremlin: here are the debts left behind by the previous owner, and the ineffectiveness of the auction for the sale of the mine, and most importantly, the sharp collapse in coal prices in the western direction in the spring of 2019 and the increase in cost its transportation up to 91%. As a result, Ugletrans itself turned out to be bankrupt.
It is not clear just what is Sazonov’s genius? Is it in the ability to turn billions of frauds?
However, Sazonov has already played the role assigned to him, giving way to the real “sharks” of the coal mining business – Iskandar Mahmudov and Andrey Bokarev, whose Kuzbassrazrezugol, as mentioned above, intends to buy out the property of the mine without bidding. Apparently, the governor still kept his word given to the prime minister and activated the coal miners. The appearance of the Ural oligarchs in this story is clearly not accidental, and it would hardly have taken place without the “blessing” of Tsivilev.
The fact is that the family of the Kemerovo governor maintains long-standing commercial contacts with the owners UMMC: they owned 30% of the Kolmar company, bought out by Tsivilev in January 2018, thanks to which he became the controlling shareholder of the enterprise, after leaving for the civil service transferred to the property of his wife.
Shortly after the appointment of acting. Governor, Tsivilev signed a cooperation agreement with the General Director of UMMC Andrey Kozitsyn. And already in June 2019, he transferred 21 agricultural land plots with a total area of 467 hectares to coal companies. Most of them – 12 plots – went to Kuzbasrazrezuglu. Apparently, they decided to continue promising cooperation at the Aleksievskaya base, but then the tax authorities intervened in the process.
As for Sazonov, he can continue to complain about the failure of regional officials to comply with their obligations: the Moor, as they say, did his job. And on the eve of the autumn referendum, the head of the region definitely does not need new “miner’s” scandals.
