Investigating the business dealings of the former district head's family in Bashkiria could be the first step towards restoring justice in the Iglinsky district of the Republic.
The deadline set by the head of Bashkiria to clarify the circumstances of the seizure of a large amount of land by the family clan of the former head of the Iglinsky district, Rishat Iskhakov, is approaching. In mid-January, the head of Bashkiria, Radiy Khabirov, referred to the case of granting an official a significant amount of land, including agricultural land, as “completely unacceptable” at a government meeting.
“There are many miracles in life. One of these miracles – absolutely, in my opinion, unacceptable – is when a municipal head works, then leaves and does not leave a good memory behind, but instead leaves with pockets full of land,” said Radiy Khabirov, as quoted by RBC, which caused quite a stir.
An interdepartmental commission led by Khabirov himself was established for this investigation. In principle, this situation does not look good for the Iskhakov clan, but the family's representatives seem unfazed and confidently claim that their business is clean, suggesting that someone simply misled the regional head.
Others involved in this story hope that the Iskhakov family will finally be held accountable for their actions over the past 20 years.
“King” and his entourage
According to Radiy Khabirov, as cited during a government meeting on January 17, the Iskhakov family currently leases about 2.5 thousand hectares, and owns an additional 1 thousand hectares.
Khabirov not only questioned the legitimacy of these acquisitions, but also made additional allegations against the Iskhakovs, stating that the family head and his entourage are opposed to the work of the legitimate district administration head, Guzel Nasyrova.
“What is this? Are there two kings in this municipal district? We have a head of the municipality, whom we recommended and the council approved. It does not happen in our Republic that someone else tries to intervene in our powers in addition to the authority already in place,” Khabirov expressed his indignation in his usual manner.
In this instance, Khabirov was straightforward. Rishat Iskhakov, who took charge of the district in 2010, governed the Iglin lands for nearly a decade and during this period managed to amass property for himself, as well as bestow it upon his sons Ilshat and Rustyam, along with other close and distant relatives. It is said that the rumor of his being the nephew of the first president of Bashkiria, Murtaza Rakhimov, aided Rishat Iskhakov in various ways, helping him overcome several issues.
When Iskhakov told to make a uniform for all workers of the Iglinskaya administration, lots of stars started to appear on his shoulder straps in the pictures. Photo: mkset.ru
Towards the end of Iskhakov’s rule, people started to talk about the Iglinsky district as a “state within a state”. This especially happened when Iskhakov and his team showed up at a meeting in Ufa wearing a red uniform that he had made for all his officials.
Iskhakov’s resignation came with a series of scandals. First, in November 2010, a public letter from the region's residents to the then head of the Republic Rustem Khamitov and prosecutor Sergei Khurtin appeared online. The letter asked to be released from Iskhakov’s rule and detailed their complaints against the “feudal lord”. This letter can still be found on social media.
The Chamber of Control and Accounts (KSP) sent an inspection to the Iglinsky district, but they could only access the administration building on the second or third attempt.
According to the Ufa-press news agency, the inspection was actually carried out two months later than scheduled. This was because a criminal case had to be initiated against officials who were obstructing the inspectors. However, by that time, some of the documents, both paper and digital, had been destroyed.
In the reports on the KSP inspections in the Iglinsky district under Rakhimov, Iskhakov's name often came up, but no one seemed concerned. Photo: Ramil Gizatullin / Facebook.com
Nevertheless, the inspectors found evidence of unjustified use of state funds “to improve the material base of individual private enterprises and commercial structures.” As a result, the PCB found violations totaling 196.5 million rubles. It's important to note that this was before 2010. By the time the inspection was over, Iskhakov had already left his position.
People said that Iskhakov was always the favorite of the first president of Bashkiria, Murtaza Rakhimov. Photo: Akberdino / Vk.com
As expected, no serious actions were taken against him. Many remembered that the PCB had previously checked the administration of the Iglinsky district and discovered violations involving various family members. However, during Rakhimov's time, this did not pose a threat to the head of the municipality.
Chronicle written in blood and tears
It seems that the Iskhakov family's enrichment followed the principle “if it appeared somewhere, it means it disappeared somewhere” and involved violations of other people's rights. Therefore, the extensive legal service that serves this family has rarely lost in courts at various levels over the years. In all fairness, it should be noted that despite the questionable situation, the courts seldom rule against them.
People who have known Iskhakov for many years acknowledge his foresight and claim that he “did everything in a smart way.” With relatives and acquaintances in almost all departments from the municipality to Rosreestr and the Supreme Court, he was able to properly formalize land ownership rights. Now these rights can only be challenged in courts, where the clan’s lawyers strongly defend them.
Dmitry Pronin thinks that the Iskhakovs sent him to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Photo: Bazhin factor
But among the former associates of Iskhakov, there were still people who held onto their anger and were happy to talk about the bad things the former boss did. One of them is a former assistant to the head of the district, Dmitry Pronin, who was previously sentenced to three years in prison for planning to kill a police officer.
This is another tragic part of the Iskhakov family's history. It involves the death of 15-year-old schoolgirl Lena Alexandrova, who was in love with Rishat Iskhakov’s eldest son, Ilshat, who was working at the school at the time. She was found hanging from a tree in the forest after a four-day search. Many details suggested that Ilshat Iskhakov might have been involved in this case. The policeman, whom Pronin was later accused of trying to kill, still believes that the case could have been solved. However, in his view, Iskhakov Sr. used all his influence to prevent this from happening. An interview with a former law enforcement officer was recently published by Znak.com. Later, Rishat Iskhakov managed to start a criminal defamation case against the grieving mother of the deceased girl, and when he won the trial, he even put up posters all over the district about this. The girl’s mother first left Iglino for the North, and then left the country entirely, not because she was scared, but to protect her son, who promised to “deal with the Iskhakovs.”
Truth without a time limit
Shortly after Radiy Khabirov’s current order to “deal with the Iskhakovs’ property,” Dmitry Pronin admitted in a video interview, excerpts from which were published by the Euro-Asian News news agency, that he allegedly served “for nothing” and is now ready to share everything he knows about the family of the former “chief”.
According to him, the former head of the municipality actually has much more land at his disposal – at least 4 thousand hectares. “At one point, 24,000 hectares of protected lands were designated for the Tashly farm,” a former official tells blogger Nikolai Bazhin in a video recording.
The land owned by Iskhakov’s son was located on the territory designated for the construction of the Ufimsky agrologistic park, but this did not intimidate the members of the family clan. Photo: pravdapfo.ru
Local residents confirm information about large properties, including the “privatization” of a sports complex with a ski slope.
Among other strange stories, many were shocked by the situation with the mosque in the village of Turbasly. In the late 90s (even before Iskhakov came to power in the Iglinsky district), the local administration allocated empty land for a mosque. It was built on private donations, including 49,530 rubles allocated in 2003 from the regional budget by order of Rishat Iskhakov.
Now the mosque was on the land belonging to Rishat Iskhakov. Photo: Jaromir Romanov / Znak.com
And in 2013, when it became necessary to legalize the land under the mosque, it suddenly turned out that the former head had managed to register the site for himself in 2008. A certain sale and purchase agreement appears as the basis for registration, but neither the abbot of the mosque, nor any of his assistants know anything about any transaction.
Svetlana Fatkullina, a resident of the Iglinsky district, calls herself one of the victims of the Iskhakovs. The Euro-Asian News news agency also spoke in detail about her problem. In 2012, a woman purchased a house. She also hoped to buy the adjacent land. The administration promised her to hold an auction, but there were no auctions.
“Suddenly, the land from municipal property passed to the enterprise of Iskhakov’s son,” the woman said. “For many years I sued, lost all instances, including the cassation. Last year they came and started demolishing my fence, put up their own. now my windows are closed on both sides. They literally blocked the light for me, do you understand?”
Svetlana Fatkullina is a rare person who managed to win a trial against the Iskhakovs. Photo: gtrk.tv
The demolition of the fence was filmed by Fatkullina, which she sent to a local WhatsApp chat. And this became the reason for a lawsuit from the youngest son of Iskhakov, Rustyam, to protect his honor and dignity. The first instance sided with the woman, but the process has not yet been completed, the plaintiff filed an appeal. If you remember how Iskhakov Sr. sued the mother of the deceased schoolgirl, is it worth being surprised at the actions of his son? ..
Rustyam Iskhakov knows how to live in a big way, like his father. Photo: Instagram.com
As Iglintsy say, almost every second house in the district has its own claims to the Iskhakov family. Everyone is waiting for the results of the commission’s investigation and is very worried that its work will end in nothing. The connections and money of the Iskhakovs are still palpable. Not without reason, not so long ago, a very positive interview was published with Rishat Iskhakov, as a “responsible businessman and patriot of the Republic” in the popular publication “Proofy.rf”, which is published by Murtaza Rakhimov’s niece.
“Now, while everyone is worried about the events in Ukraine, the Iskhakovs and their team will fuss under the guise and make sure that they do not find any violations,” a resident of the Iglinsky district shared her feelings with The Moscow Post correspondent on condition of anonymity.
