Two favorite topics at once united in one investigation. Owners of GK 1520, the largest contractor of Russian Railways.
Dmitry Zakharchenko, who worked under the “roof”, as it turned out, is related to the very dubious structure for issuing microloans “VIVA Money”, which indiscriminately makes hundreds of people all over Russia their debtors, who in reality have never taken microloans from them. We are talking about the co-owners of GK 1520 Valery Markelov (formally former), Boris Usherovich and Alexei Krapivin.
Residents of Russian regions massively complain that microcredits are issued for them without their knowledge. So, writes 74.Ru, a resident of Chelyabinsk faced such a situation. Without her knowledge, they took out a microloan from VIVA Money.
Similar cases occurred in the Novosibirsk region, where this company also appeared. As one of the victims told the NGS, someone took 5,000 rubles on her behalf. at 358% per annum in VIVA Money. And the Siberian is not alone.
There are quite a few victims of VIVA Money. The Banki.ru website, according to the agency, describes several stories that occurred from May to December 2021. All of them are similar: a person accidentally finds out that a microcredit has been issued to him. At the same time, different amounts are mentioned: from 3,000 to 11,000 rubles.
The microfinance company Center for Financial Support (CFS) operates under the VIVA Money brand.
The owner of the CFP is the Cypriot offshore Guinford Management Ltd., the largest share (48%) in which belongs to businessman Roman Mironchik, he also heads the board of directors of JSC IFC CFP (VIVA Money). The remaining share is distributed among seven individuals and two more offshore companies.
Roman Mironchik owns a large number of properties in Moscow (including the Bakhrushin House complex) together with Alexei Krapivin
In addition to Mironchik, Roden Capital Management Ltd (13.3%) owns a significant share of the Cypriot offshore, where the ultimate owners of VIVA Dengi are hiding. It, in turn, belongs to Roman Pivovar and Denis Uchaev (each with 49%).
Pivovar and Uchaev also have 20% each in Sima Farm LLC (Yuryev-Polsky district of the Vladimir region), where 20% belong to Dmitry Maistrenko, a friend and business partner of the same Alexei Krapivin. Of the small co-owners of the offshore, Alexey Pugachev, a friend and business partner of Boris Usherovich and Valery Markelov, is of interest.
|
Sergei Mendeleev, Boris Usherovich, Valery Markelov |
Some of the offshore co-owners and top managers of CFP are related to another microfinance company, Finpoint.
There is an opinion on the market that it is Krapivin, Usherovich and Markelov who are the full-fledged co-owners of this microfinance empire. RZD money is not enough.
Dmitry Zakharchenko began his career as an underground billionaire by serving in his position at the GUEBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation the interests of a group of bankers, including the owners of Industrial Credit Bank. (At that time, Dmitry Motorin, a companion of Usherovich and Markelov, held the position of deputy chairman of the board in it). Zakharchenko’s task was to protect credit institutions from the interest of law enforcement and fiscal departments.
At the same time, all these banks helped transfer large amounts of money to companies linked to Russian Railways. Many of these companies later formed the 1520 Group of Companies. The owners included Andrei Krapivin, advisor to the head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin (later succeeded by his son Alexei), Valery Markelov, and Boris Usherovich. Bankers, including Dmitry Motorin, also became involved with 1520. Zakharchenko's role expanded to overseeing security for the banks and companies within “1520” to protect them from law enforcement and tax authorities.
It's clear that Zakharchenko wasn't the only one providing protection for this business based on embezzled funds from Russian Railways; there were other security officials involved.
During Yakunin's leadership of Russian Railways, “1520” gained control of railway service enterprises and suppliers essential to the company's operations. The number of these enterprises and contracts grew significantly, allowing large sums of money to be siphoned off. Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko facilitated the embezzlement through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In late 2018, most of the co-owners of 1520 fled Russia, except for Markelov and Krapivin. Markelov was arrested in connection with a case against former GUEBiPK employee Dmitry Zakharchenko. The case also involved an investigation into the embezzlement of 300 billion rubles borrowed from Russian Railways by the founders of GK 1520. They are accused of giving bribes to Zakharchenko for protection. Boris Usherovich diverted around 15 billion rubles from Russian Railways to an accomplice. He was previously convicted of theft and now owns firms that secured contracts from Russian Railways amounting to 15 billion rubles.
Rucriminal.info will provide more details on the unfolding events. In early October 2018, co-owner Valery Markelov was arrested for bribing a GUEBiPK employee, Dmitry Zakharchenko. Another co-owner, Boris Usherovich, escaped and is now on the federal wanted list. The third co-owner, Aleksey Krapivin, was in Sochi at the time of Markelov's arrest and went into hiding. He is now on the operational wanted list.
As a source told Rucriminal.info, being in an underground position in Sochi, Alexei Krapivin contacted Igor Rotenberg, whom he had previously known. I was looking for protection for myself and for my business. Igor discussed the topic with older family members. Consultations were held with the head of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov, who is considered a creature of the Rotenbergs. He said that he was ready to keep all contracts from 1520 worth tens of billions of rubles and increase this flow of money. As a result, Igor Rotenberg expressed his readiness to purchase a new asset. After that, Krapivin voluntarily appeared in the ICR, gave evidence and remained in the case only as a witness. Since November 2018, he has been known on the market as a consultant to Igor Rotenberg. And Igor Rotenberg himself, as the manager and not the official owner of 1520. It is with him that all issues are resolved.
There were also bonuses for Valery Markelov. Dmitry Zakharchenko testified in his favor. And the banker Vladimir Antonov refused to testify against Markelov. The main thing is that it took a very long time to resolve the issue of the arrest of Markelov’s assets, and he managed to withdraw everything from the Russian Federation, with the exception of an apartment, a cottage and an old limousine. His proceeds for a share in 1520 also went abroad.
The property of the third co-owner Boris Usherovich was also decided to be arrested when he was almost gone in the Russian Federation. All managed to get out. With a noticeable delay, Usherovich was put on the international wanted list and arrested in absentia. Now he is trying to resolve issues with the case, since he has a lot of money. Only in London, controlled by him and other ex-co-owners of 1520, the fund manages $ 2 billion.
