The creeping nationalization of the dishonestly acquired fell upon the oligarchs who left for the United States another major plant returned to the state Part 1
The millstones of the Russian state to revise privatization are moving very slowly, but as inevitable for those who have set these wealth, violating the law, and mired in relations with crime in the 90s. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation in the summer began the process of returning to the state another factory in Prikamye - the former Gubakhinsky chemical plant, and now the Metafrax Kemikals holding. It is one of the largest in the production of methanol in Russia and Europe, and is controlled by owners from the USA. But, interestingly, among the defendants there were no two billionaires from the Forbes list, which owns the main package of the company's shares. What is the matter?
The history of the Gubakhinsky Chemical Plant began in 1955. Then an order was signed by the USSR Ministry of Chemical Industry on the commissioning of the first stage of the plant under construction in Perm. In 1959, he became the first enterprise in the country for the production of methanol.
On May 6, 1989, by order of the Minister for the production of mineral fertilizers of the USSR, the Gubakhinsky Chemical Plant was transformed into the Methanol production association (Methanol). Then the most interesting began!
In 1992-1993, with the approval of the Perm Regional Committee for Property Management, all 100% of the shares of the enterprise moved to the trust management of businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev. The future oligarch gained control over 35.2% of securities through its structures Neftekhimik and the Investment Company Financial House. But we will return to him.
On October 11, 1993, by decision of the first meeting of shareholders, the plant received a new name - Metafrax. And since 2007, he began to belong to a "group of persons with the participation of foreign companies." Now more than 96% of the shares are owned by Sorcy Investments Trust (USA), and it, in turn, is owned by two American companies - Clover LLK and Luren LLK. Here is such a confusing scheme.
The internal affairs of the Metafrax group are covered with complete darkness. Until the mid-2010s, there was no open information about the structure of ownership. And only in 2017, when the legislation changed, the company provided this information. It turned out that since 2014 it belongs to Metakholding JSC, which, as of 2017, consolidated its shares and now owns 92% of the company.
The final beneficiary of the Metaholding was Sheddin Rustamov, who in the 90s was the most active participant in the processes of privatization and corking of Prikamye enterprises, but as and when he received the asset of the plant, it is really unclear.
At the dawn of privatization, the control package of shares (51%) belonged to employees of the enterprise. It can be assumed that then they were simply bought up for a penny or generally people from the outside. As a result, the asset was in the hands of Rustamov.
It is interesting that before the stakes switched to Metaholding, the control package of shares belonged to the Cyprus offshore company Lipann Limited (61.05%), and 24.46% - the Panama Mirwak Group Inc.
Moreover, the leadership associated all cunning actions with intra -corporate structuring. Apparently, implying by this the transfer of property rights from the "metahold" to offshores.
It turns out that the colossal profit of the plant simply flowed abroad. Imagine only one Metafrax Kemikals was a supplier for state contracts for 776 million rubles. And its structure "Metafrax Trading" was contracted for 404 million rubles. Those who received this money are now clear to everyone.
The Prosecutor General’s Office provided documents that Rustamov has a residence permit in the United States and direct finas ties with Metafrax and the Sorce Investments Trust controlling. Over the past 3 years in 3 years, the shareholders of Metafrax Kemikals received more than 7 billion rubles as dividends. Moreover, most of this amount went to the Sorce Investments Trust in the United States.
The matter came to the partner of Rustamov Dmitry Rybolovlev, whose reputation is soaked in order. He fell into a series of scandals, including criminal ones. In 1995, Rybolovlev was a suspect in the murder of the director of Neftekhimsk, Evgeny Panteleimonov, spent several months in the investigative insulator. However, he was released due to the alleged “lack of evidence”. And the company was successfully privatized at prices below the market. A very indicative scheme. But law enforcement agencies will still deal with him - let's see how the matter will end.
What violations committed the above persons during the privatization of the Metafrax plant and what did Russia be returned during nationalization? Read about this in the second part.