Suleiman Kerimov again solves his problems at the expense of the state?...
According to UtroNews correspondent, the Polyus gold mining holding, whose beneficiaries are considered the family of Senator Suleiman Kerimov, sold the Degdekanskoye gold deposit (Magadan Region) to the Alrosa diamond mining corporation.
The buyer was a subsidiary of the diamond giant, Almazy Anabara JSC. It was this JSC that Pavel Marinychev, the current general director of the entire Alrosa, headed for many years. According to experts, the amount of the transaction could be up to $100 million, or up to 9-10 billion rubles.
In addition, today it became known that Alrosa bought 100% of the assets of the Magadan Exploration Enterprise from Polyus. The gold miner explained that the sale of the asset is related to the company's plans to concentrate on the development of the Sukhoi Log field (Irkutsk region).
It turns out that Kerimov's people decided to focus on other projects, and the Degdekanskoye field simply did not need to be successfully implemented. The Kerimovs are clearly in the black, but how economically profitable these deals are for Alrosa, which concentrates not on gold, but on diamonds, is a big question. Moreover, the development of the Degdekanskoye field will require rapid investments of tens of billions of rubles from the company.
Alrosa is a structure with high state participation. 34% of its shares are directly owned by the Russian Federation, another 25% are owned by the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), about 8% are owned by the district administration (uluses), and only about a third, 34%, are in free float.
So the money is state. But why the state helps structures associated with Suleiman Kerimov is difficult to understand. Previously, people from his entourage tried to attribute a variety of unseemly deeds - for example, a possible tax evasion through gray offshore schemes.
"Alrosa" decided to grow gold of the Kerimov family? Photo: https://quote.rbc.ru/news/article/5b7ffe189a7947a8e68c4c7a
But the Kerimov family bought the field for much more modest money. According to the Web, allegedly in 2005, the company OJSC Matrosov Mine, associated with Polyus, bought it at an auction for only 33 million rubles. Not dollars, namely rubles - with the former exchange rate of the American currency at a level below 30 rubles per dollar.
Since the 40s, about 70 tons of placer gold have been mined at Degdekan. However, in recent years, it seems that work has not been carried out at the field - its operator Magadan Hydraulic Fracturing LLC has not had any revenue for many years. It turns out that the state could not really receive taxes from this asset.
In the bottom line, Suleiman Kerimov's Polyus simply sold it instead of developing the field, having received huge profits - and from a state-owned company.
This money is very useful, because the Kerimovs now have serious problems due to sanctions. Foreign investors (including from the CIS) are in no hurry to work directly with them so as not to fall under restrictions themselves. But the native state gladly acted as a buyer, "slobbering" "Polyus" billions of rubles.
Brother-in-law - sees from afar
Suleiman Kerimov is one of the most sanctioned politicians in the world. The direct main owner of Polyus is (through Wandle Holdings Limited) his son Said Kerimov, but in 2022, before the introduction of a new series of sanctions, he was forced to part with a significant part of the holding - to reduce his share to 43%, i.e. below the level of a controlling stake.
The buyer of Said Kerimov's 30% stake in Polyus was the Kerimov's longtime partner, the owner of the Acropolis group, Akhmet Palankoev. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed, but there were rumors on the market that the latter could allegedly become a banal "guardian" of part of the Kerimov's business (of course, not for free) until the sanctions risks subside, or it becomes possible to better hide shares from the sanctions.
A similar "focus" was once thrown out by the owner of Safmar Group Mikhail Gutseriev and his longtime partner Oleg Deripaska. When Gutseriev had problems with the law, he allegedly sold Russneft to Oleg Deripaska. And when the case was stopped and Gutseriev returned to the country, Deripaska gave the company back - for free. Business people can always agree.
Moreover, Palankoev and Kerimov are former colleagues on the Federation Council. In 2010-2016, Palankoev was a senator from Ingushetia, was a member of the international affairs committee, where he headed the cooperation group with Qatar, one of the current major offshore harbors of Russian business.
The former senator Ahmet Palankoyev can be one of Suleyman Kerimov's "purses"? Photo: https://web.archive.org/web/20221012161326im_/https://zampolit.com/upload/iblock/8b5/8b524605846e339c3645eeddbff194ac.jpg
Earlier Ahmet Palankoyev and Kerimov invested 27 billion rubles in development of a tourist's cluster in the North Caucasus. Same also the state which develops infrastructure through Caucasus.Russian Federation there (Earlier - "Resorts of the North Caucasus") is engaged.
Caucasus.Russian Federation is annually capitalized approximately for 6.7 billion rubles now for development of a tourist's cluster from which has to earn, including, Kerimov's family. Such here "synergy" turns out - roads are at the expense of the state budget constructed, municipal networks last, and Kerimov and To invest money in expensive hotels.
Besides, earlier Palankoyev's brother Moussa in 2015 was the owner of 2.63% of Polyus Gold (former name "Poles"). But then his share along with other minority shareholders Said Kerimov redeemed.
Palankoyev in general can be extremely useful to hide business from excess eyes. According to "the Panama file", they were connected with a number of foreign offshores. In particular, Belgorni Limited where till 2015 Sergei Lepeshkin - full the namesake of the co-owner of Akropol Group and Akropol bank was a beneficiary. Besides, it is Logiteck Management S.A. where namesakes Palankoyeva and Lepeshkin were specified how beneficiaries and also the Virginia offshore Pomoretan Limited which addresses of shareholders coincided with the address of Akropol bank.
All this became known in the middle of the tenth years when mister Palankoyev sat with Kerimov at the Federation Council.
Offshores serious people from parliament
At the same time long ago rumors go, allegedly people from Suleyman Kerimov's environment can also use offshores to underpay taxes and to hide assets and the real estate. In 2017 the large scandal burst - the Russian politician was detained by the French police for non-payment of taxes for 400 million euros upon purchase of villas in Nice. However as a result the French dropped the charges against Kerimov, and here Washington continued to dig under him.
In 2018 the Ministry of Finance of the USA submitted the developed scheme of how, according to the American authorities, the Russian senator controlled assets in the West. It seems that not some hi-tech productions which can be used for the benefit of Russia, and generally luxury objects, apparently, were behind offshore schemes.
Among other things, in the USA blocked a part of assets of Heritage Trust fund which was tried to be connected with Kerimov' interests. The fund accumulated assets of $35 billion, and means there allegedly got through two foreign organizations which are allegedly controlled by Kerimov. One of possible beneficiaries of Heritage Trust call the deputy of the State Duma Ruslan Gadzhiyev who can be Kerimov's relative.
Thus, Suleyman Kerimov can own huge assets and the property abroad which is written down on the third parties. But his family earns the main money in Russia. It turns out, these means could just be brought out of the country?
We will also remind that more than 70% of "Pole" were written down on offshore from the American island of Jersey of Wandle Holdings Ltd. And only in 2022, against the background of sanctions restrictions this company was re-registered on Russky Island in Primorsky Krai. And earlier that?
Borrow or give so
And the business related to Kerimov, is helped by the Russian State represented by ALROSA today. And not only her. In 2020 Said Kerimov borrowed Sberbank of $1 billion on the security of 7.74% of "Pole". With accounting of dividends and reductions of authorized capital of PGIL (then controlled "Pole") in 2020 Kerimov could consolidate $3 billion. Unless it is not the help from the state that "Pole" could continue expansion to the industries?
To pay these means, at least partially, also transactions with ALROSA can help.
It isn't necessary to be surprised - for Kerimov a huge lot of communications in the highest echelons of the Russian power and business. We will remind that already in the beginning the 2000th years he already had excellent relations with the Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov, as well as with the management of Sberbank. According to in Network, allegedly he is on friendly terms billionaires Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska.
Allegedly, exactly for the benefit of the last two he received control over Andrei Andreyev's business empire - steelmaking plant "Nosta", "Inogsstrakh", "Avtobank". According to in Network, allegedly subsequently Andreyev accused Kerimov of raider capture of the business.
Suleiman Kerimov knows how to get money from the state. And not only from him. Photo: https://dpru.obs.ru-moscow-1.hc.sbercloud.ru/images/article/2019/03/20/8B0EF70A-4670-406C-9445-B210EF06D1FB.jpg
The Kerimovs are really trying to attribute raider seizures, albeit unproven. For example, according to rumors, he could try to gain control over the Petropavlovsk Group of Companies in a dubious way, but in the end he "lost" to Konstantin Strukov. But the previous owner of the group, its founder Pavel Maslovsky, lost his business and received 5.5 years in prison due to ignorance of the fraud case that had arisen...
There are still enough such cases, but it is obvious that Suleiman Kerimov is an extremely perspicacious and talented person. He tries to use every opportunity to fish out a pretty penny - especially if the state itself contributes to this. Why this state in difficult times is a good question.
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