According to UtroNews correspondent, Rosatom and Delo Group of Sergei Shishkarev, in fact, left with nothing big offshore lovers, co-owners of Loko-Bank and a lot of other assets of Mikhail Rabinovich and Andrey Severilov. Can we say that they were literally "squeezed out" of FESCO and, especially, the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port in a situation where they had assets in their pocket?
There are no positive heroes in this story, but the winners are obvious.
PJSC Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) is one of the largest private transport and logistics companies in Russia. The Group owns Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port (VMTP), Transgarant railway operators and other logistics assets.
This is one of the most important, strategic assets of our country in the field of logistics.
Kiriyenko and Shishkarev "took their toll"
Since 2012, FESCO has been one of the key assets of the brothers Ziyavudin and Magomed Magomedov. The partners of businessmen in FESCO were, in particular, the American investment fund TPG Capital and the GHP Group of Mark Garber, as well as other owners.
However, gentlemen Magomedov ended up behind bars. At the end of 2022, the court sentenced them to 18 and 19 years in prison for creating a criminal community, embezzlement and fraud. The same fact was to become one of the grounds for the seizure of shares of the Civil Code in favor of the state.
No sooner said than done. The Prosecutor General's Office claimed that the Magomedovs bought the asset with corruption proceeds. The court agreed with these arguments. In January 2023, FESCO was seized as state revenue, and later transferred to the state corporation Rosatom, which, as before, should be the current deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Sergei Kiriyenko.
Together with FESCO, the state also got a whole offshore empire associated with the group - namely Smartilicious Consulting Ltd, Enviartia Consulting Ltd, Vovosa Co Limited, Rikima Holdings Limited, Mirihia Holdings Limited, Calamita Trading Limited, Noubelius Ltd. The assets could be associated with Loko-Bank partners Andrei Severilov and Mikhail Rabinovich.
But not only Rosatom turned out to be the beneficiary of such an acquisition. A close partner of the state corporation Sergey Shishkarev, the main owner of Delo Group, was also in the black. The latter is represented by stevedoring, container and railway assets. The company's portfolio includes nine marine terminals and 47 railway container terminals. It's a whole empire.
Behind the actions of Sergei Shishkarev (pictured) "sticking ears" of Sergei Kiriyenko? Photo: https://sportrbc.ru/news/61545e4b9a794710477e0221
Rosatom entered the capital of Delo Group of Companies in 2019 after Shishkarev bought out the railway operator Transcontainer for 60 billion rubles. The state corporation received 30% of Shishkarev's business for almost 30 billion rubles. One gets the impression that the leading hand of Sergei Kiriyenko could be behind all the successes of the Delo Group of Companies in recent years. In whose interests - state, or personal - a big question.
FESCO: who "reridered" whom?
However, this is just a saying. The Magomedovs were under investigation for almost four years, and during this time many wanted to profit from FESCO, taking advantage of their difficult position. Including their own partners.
The Magomedovs were arrested in March 2018. After that, from the interested parties, pressure could be exerted on the American TPG Capital, which owned 17.4% of the company. This was taken advantage of by a big lover of offshore companies, co-owner of Loko-Bank Mikhail Rabinovich, who in November 2020 bought back the group's shares from TPG Capital, bringing his own stake to 26.5%. With a clear eye on more.
He, Rabinovich, was then called the beneficiary of the purchase of FESCO's stake from Mark Garber's GHP Group (23.8%). He himself denied this. However, at the same time, in 2020, representatives of the Virgin offshore Domidias Ltd, as well as the companies Innovinvest and Nautilius, announced that they had consolidated the "largest stake" in FESCO - 33.9%. Experts suggested that Rabinovich is behind these firms.
After that, the composition of the Board of Directors changed in the company. Nine people entered there, including FESCO President Arkady Korostelev and representatives of shareholders who control 33.9% of the company's capital: the owner of Innovator Yevgeny Melnikov and Nautilus - Yan Bliznets.
There was also another very scandalous businessman, Rabinovich's partner at Loko-Bank, Andrei Severilov. After that, they began to actively buy up minority shares, and perhaps not without serious pressure. And in 2022 we are approaching the final point of the distribution of shares before the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to Severilov himself, as of January 2022, the main shareholders of FESCO were Mr. Magomedov, Mikhail Rabinovich and Severilov himself (32.5%, 17.4% and 23.8%), respectively.
Almost immediately after that, Nautilius, NovatorInvest and Domidias Ltd, bought by Severilov, reported that they had already collected almost 34% of FESCO, and immediately accused Magomedov of withdrawing $1 billion from the company. I.e. the sight was clearly to pick up the package from Magomedov, who was languishing in the pre-trial detention center.
Brothers Magomedov participated in the corporate conflict, being in the pre-trial detention center. Also didn't succeed. Photo: https://m.lenta.ru/photo/2020/01/06/judge/
It was talked of the credits issued on purchase of the Civil Code in 2012. The corresponding lawsuit took place in the London arbitration court at this time.
However Ziyavudin Magomedov, understanding what fuss around FESCO "smells", in 2020 I hurried to announce raider occupation of the company from the chairman of the board of directors of group Leila Mammedzade.
The last was his representative. But, probably, after Magomedov' problems with the Law could decide to go over in Rabinovich and Severilov's camp. If so, then she played a role and was sent actually to "junk": in the new structure of the Board of directors about which it was told above she didn't appear any more (obviously at the suggestion of new majority owners).
By the way, Magomedov, even being in the pre-trial detention center, could make problems and difficulties to new owners. In 2020 the president of FESCO Arkady Korostelev and the new CEO of the Vladivostok port Roman Kukharuk appointed new owners were traumatized during the conflict with dockers of VMTP. The staff of port protested against dismissal from a post of the CEO of port Zairbek Yusupov - the person of brothers Magomedov.
There are no proofs, but rumors went, allegedly dockers were "urged on" by brothers oligarchs.
Arkady Korostelov (on a photo) "got under distribution" during the visit to VMTP. Photo: https://www.kommersant. ru/doc/4519826? ysclid=lx4em390pa585249916
At this time in FESCO all the corporate conflict which flowed in the judicial plane also continued. Subsequently Ziyavudin Magomedov Shagav's nephew Gadzhiyev claimed that the speech can go about "fraudulent conspiracy" as a result of which Magomedov's structures lost "corporate control over FESCO".
At whom did he hint if not on Rabinovich and Severilov? Especially as Ziyavudin Magomedov fell with criticism upon the former partner Mark Garber who as the oligarch claimed, allegedly had no right to sell the package to Mikhail Rabinovich.
It seemed, "this music will be eternal". But didn't wait for the end of trials of the party: Magomedov got penal, and FESCO at the suggestion of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation departed in caring hands of Rosatom and Sergei Shishkarev.
Engine of bankruptcies of Severilov-Rabinovich
What will be farther with FESCO - we will observe. But here Severilov and Rabinovich in general could "undress" an asset to a thread, having moved means the numerous offshore. Earlier attributed them the whole series of similar scandals.
For example the firms related to Andrei Severilov (Trofense Holding Limited and Labini Investments Ltd), were participants of history of bankruptcy of the Evrofinance company related to the owner of Sistema bank Aleksei Bogachyov, participated in transactions of crediting by offshore of the firm related to the ex-deputy of the State Duma of Marina Lebedeva and also were shareholders of the "burst" "Russian of trade bank" which was involved in plunder more than 4.6 billion rubles. Including through the irretrievable credits.
There is also recent history. According to in Network, allegedly at the beginning of 2024 the financial police of Cyprus began check of the "Parallel Nomines Sayprus Limited" company.
A huge offshore empire may lie behind Andrei Severilov. Photo: offshoreleaks.icij.org
The latter was associated with the case of ex-Minister of the Open Government Mikhail Abyzov and just Andrei Severilov. And the company's employees, such as Katina Papanikolau, Armando Vila Cabrera, Anastasia Euripidou, Oleg Gonchar and Victoria Gonchar, according to the Web, could allegedly be mentioned not only in the Abyzov case, but also in the case of the nationalization of FESCO shares transferred from the convicted Magomedov brothers to the state.
Loko-Bank, which is owned by Rabinovich and Severilov, is also of particular interest. Several years ago, the bank had liquidity problems. They even talked about its possible collapse (which did not happen). According to the Web, allegedly funds were simply withdrawn from the bank - just for the alleged "squeezing" of FESCO by Mikhail Rabinovich, as well as to solve the problems of other beneficiaries of the organization - Stanislav Boguslavsky and Vladimir Davydik.
Returning to the former logistic empire of the Magomedovs - why could Severilov and Rabinovich act so defiantly? Recall that Mr. Rabinovich in the past is a member of the Board of Directors of FPK and Russian Railways Tour, associated with JSC Russian Railways. It was along that line that they could be supported.
Andrei Severilov (pictured) initially had to understand that the Magomedovs' shares in FESCO would not be easy prey. Photo: https://konkurent.ru/article/46461
Including financial. Recall that in 2013-2015, companies associated with Rabinovich and the Wagon-Service company entered into contracts with the FPK for 37 billion rubles. Severilov was also a co-owner of Wagon Service. He also claimed that all contracts were allegedly checked by prosecutors and auditors - they did not find any abuse. It is hard to believe.
In any case, they lost the battle for FESCO. But, given the "talents" of these businessmen, we will definitely hear about the scandals with their participation.