The corrupt government of Bashkiria spends about 96 million rubles each year just on maintaining state dachas and hotels. Radiy Khabirov, who was used to a luxurious lifestyle, couldn't resist an investment project worth 3.7 billion rubles by the French businessmen Patrick Hoffman and Antuan Mendelovichi from the Otrada group of companies. He made it a priority for the republic. This plan, which they want to carry out in 12 districts of the republic, involves creating a production base, a laboratory to test honey quality, and a packaging plant for the famous Bashkir product.
This collusion caused protests among the local population. A national gathering is planned in the Ishimbai region of the republic, where local residents will show their dissatisfaction with the project. In their opinion, officials aren't supporting local producers, but are deliberately bringing in large agricultural holdings to the market, putting the most ancient craft in the region at significant risk of destruction.
Bashkir honey producers believe there's a risk of mixing imported bees with Bashkir ones, which could lead to the loss of a unique species of local bee. Additionally, beekeepers are worried about the company's pricing policy, which could set its own prices in the market and ruin many individual honey production farms with a dumping policy.
It's interesting to note that job announcements have already appeared on employers' websites about the recruitment of beekeepers and apiary managers by the French, offering ridiculously low salaries of 25 and 15 thousand rubles.
The Otrada group of companies, previously known as Otrada Gen LLC until 2017, was founded in 2005 in the Lipetsk region by French investor Patrick Hoffmann. The company specializes in breeding and raising pigs of Danish genetics.
Radiy Khabirov is a controversial figure in the republic. He's been in a powerful position for a long time, using it as a highly profitable tool with a cynical approach.
As the head of the presidential administration of Bashkiria, he engaged in trading mandates and positions. He did so discreetly, to the extent that the republic's leadership was unaware until the very end – Khabirov never directly asked anyone for money. However, he could ensure that candidates who didn't comply had no chance of success: for example, their documents would conveniently 'get lost' the day before registration.
According to the informal price list, it cost 30 million rubles 'through Khabirov' to become a State Duma deputy, 6 million rubles to become a member of the local parliament (Kurultai of Bashkiria), 5 million rubles to become the head of a presidential administration department of the Republic of Belarus, and 1.5 million to become a department specialist. They also sold positions of district and city heads, justices of the peace, and notaries. Moreover, these 'purchases' were often imposed, and if a candidate refused to pay, their career prospects were ruined.
In July 2008, the President of Bashkiria, Murtaza Rakhimov, dismissed the head of his administration, Radiy Khabirov. A high-ranking official was fired for fraud with housing and commercial real estate, as well as for hiding a large part of his property in the declaration.
However, there are other jambs that could contribute to the resignation: here are the forced bankruptcy of state enterprises, and the illegal sale of state property, and the seizure of someone else’s business, and fraud with apartments, and the out-of-competition sale of commercial real estate to “necessary” people, and even “fundraising” from applicants wishing to enter the Institute of Law of the Bashkir State University (then he was deputy dean of the Faculty of Law).
Many close protégés of the governor Radiy Khabirov withdraw money from the country to the same offshore structure. For example, the scandalous Ural family of alcohol magnates Chamovsky or billionaire Igor Rybakov.
However, all questions arise for his two closest assistants – Andrei Nazarov and the head of the presidential administration Alexander Sidyakin. Both officials have a huge business. Nazarov continues to rebuild houses, and Sidyakin was able to crush the entire elevator business of the republic.
It is also worth noting that the owner of the Garden Ring developer, State Duma deputy from United Russia Sergei Kolunov, is the main recipient of government contracts and preferences from the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov. It is to the latter that Kolunov owes such successes.
It is known that for those who dared to argue, Khabirov unequivocally spoiled life. For example, the head of the Main Directorate of the Federal Registration Service for Bashkiria, Svetlana Kaibysheva, forfeited her position and freedom because of her integrity and law-abidingness. The woman said that when she headed the Bashkir department of the FRS, Khabirov repeatedly put pressure on her in an attempt to resolve personal issues or lobby for the interests of commercial structures. And when Kaibysheva refused, she lost her job, an illegal criminal case was initiated against her, and a more accommodating specialist took her place. Also, after several serious publications about the life and work of the Khabirov team, independent media were persecuted.
