Investors on Cypriot shores: Dmitriev "pouraganit" in VEB?

Will Kirill Dmitriev "take out" what Igor Shuvalov did not "take out" from VEB?

According to UtroNews correspondent, Igor Shuvalov, who has held this post since 2018, may soon resign from the post of head of the state corporation VEB.RF. The country's leadership has many complaints about its work, and he himself may soon become the object of interest of the control and supervisory authorities.

Just now, his former subordinate and long-term associate Otto Sopronenko, who, with the support of VEB.RF, was implementing concession projects for the construction of schools in the regions, was under investigation.

Kirill Dmitriev, the current head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), can replace Shuvalov as head of the VEB.RF. Previously, he was credited with many dubious "investment" schemes and shadow offshore companies - the same information was reported to us by a woman who introduced herself as his wife.

Shuvalov passed the deadline

Talk that Shuvalov may resign has been going on for a long time. Surrounded by the official himself, the possible resignation is explained by the desire of the head of the VEB.RF himself - allegedly, he is simply "not released" until he implements a number of significant projects.

Perhaps one of these "projects" is a massive sale VEB.RF the so-called "non-core assets," which may be among people who are not like him. Such as his close associate Otto Sopronenko. Until 2018, Sopronenko worked as deputy general director for the sale of assets of Vnesheconombank Investment Company LLC - VEB Capital (100% owned by VEB). And after the creation of the state province, he was "released" by Shuvalov for "free bread." True, he did not leave VEB far away.

Among other things, Otto Sopronenko became one of the beneficiaries of a large-scale program for the construction of schools on the principles of public-private partnership. Despite the fact that many of Sopronenko's concession companies have no direct relation to VEB, the project itself was launched precisely under the umbrella of the state corporation and the Enlightenment Group of Companies, 25% of which the structure bought out several years ago.

And a few days ago it became known that Otto Sopronenko was arrested in Novosibirsk. It seems that the residents of the city, officials and law enforcement officers simply ran out of patience. According to the investigation, due to the fault of the concessionaire, the construction time of six schools at once for almost 6 thousand students was disrupted. Possible damage to the budget could amount to 3.1 billion rubles.

The concessionaire company is Enlightenment Fifth Concession Company LLC (now Nikolai Sotnikov School LLC). It belongs to SB Capital LLC, in which not a single employee officially works at all. SB Capital's shares in Shkola are pledged by Sberbank. And such a legal entity was entrusted with the construction of social facilities?

We have all heard about corruption scandals in the Ministry of Defense. And, no joke, just during the period of work at VEB Capital, Sopronenko was the head of the FSBI TsZHKU of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which was a supplier under government contracts for 5 billion rubles, and a customer for 88 billion rubles. Maybe the investigation look in that direction?

He, Sopronenko, was previously, for some unknown reason, the head of Military Unit 21045 (now under liquidation), OJSC 10 Arsenal Navy (now in bankruptcy), OJSC 1 PFB (being liquidated). Apparently, he "walked" there nobly... But what about the country's defense capability?

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Why are we talking so much about Sopronenko, although there are even more complaints and questions about VEB itself and Shuvalov? Recall at least the scandalous allegations according to which the Shuvalov couple allegedly use expensive business jets on which they carry their corgi dogs to exhibitions?

Because, despite them, only after the detention of Sopronenko, a number of sources reported on the possible imminent departure of Shuvalov. Was Igor Ivanovich really afraid that Otto Igorevich's tongue would unfasten, and, finally, was really going to "retire"?

Kirill Dmitriev and the CIA

But those who are waiting for good changes in the work of VEB after the departure of Shuvalov and the arrival of Kirill Dmitriev are too early to rejoice. Most likely, the structure will be plundered even faster than with the team of the current leader. Note that at the beginning of the tenths, the current RDIF was a "daughter" of VEB.

Kirill Dmitriev is a very controversial candidate for the post of head of the state corporation. It is part not so much of the Russian as of the global (globalist) business and financial elite. And in the current environment, these are huge risks.

Recall that his brother Vladimir Dmitriev previously headed Vnesheconombank (VEB), while being a native of the Foreign Intelligence Service. But Kirill Dmitriev himself returned to his homeland for a lot of money and influence.

Recall that he himself graduated from Stanford University, which is considered one of the "feed bases" of the CIA and FBI personnel. After that - Harvard Business School, which can be said about the same. But then Dmitriev worked for a long time in the interests of Western economies (and his own pocket): he led Icon Private Equity (a private equity fund with capital under management of more than $1 billion, 2007-2011).

I.e. this is a person who is quite naturally inscribed in the global financial elite. To put him in charge of a Russian state corporation, at least, is reckless - not to mention possible ties with foreign intelligence.

Rubicon for a budget account

But there are things and much more prosaic. RDIF has a subsidiary (joint venture with Chinese partners) - the Russian-Chinese Investment Fund (RCIF) under the leadership of Dmitriev's longtime associate, Yuri Trofimov. It was RCIF that was engaged in the construction of the infamous bridge over the Amur.

The problem with the project was that the Chinese built their part quickly, and from the Russian side there were huge delays, and, as a result, the replacement of the contractor. Initially, this was the Rubicon company. And the whole thing was financed just through the RDIF, for which about 10 billion rubles were allocated.

Of these, 2.5 billion - from the Far East Development Fund. The fund itself belonged to the Far East Investment Agency. In 2020, there was information that there could be searches. The reason is unknown, but even the press secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov had to comment on the situation. And after that, the agency was "suddenly" liquidated, its head, the scandalous official Anton Chekunov "went into the sunset," using the likely patronage of the plenipotentiary Yuri Trutnev.

Looking ahead, let's say, the Russian part of the long-suffering bridge was still built. But only in 2020, and it cost Russia three times more expensive than their partners from China. Not suspicious?

But these are details. As for Rubikon, the company pumped up with budget money (previously it was bought from Petropavlovsk Ferrous Metallurgy Group for 174 million rubles) began to be sold. And already in 2015, Rubikon moved to another VEB structure - the Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund (the same one accountable to Trutnev and the Far East Investment Agency).

Together with him, it is not clear in the capital of the company how two Cypriot offshore companies turn out to be at once - Laksont Holdings Limited and Exarzo Holdings Limited. And soon their share in the company is growing sharply (!). Today it is at 28.13% for each offshore. And the bridge itself was being completed by Russian Railways, which at that time was led by the scandalous official Oleg Tony.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Today Rubikon belongs to the same offshore companies, as well as Russian Railways Infrastructure Projects and a certain Ifr-1 LLC. The loss of Rubikon for 2023 is almost a billion rubles, JSC Russian Railways-IP - 116 million rubles. The value of the assets of the last JSC is minus 840 million rubles. It seems that the money invested in Rubicon from the budget has long been no longer in it or next to it.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Who is behind these offshore companies? According to the Web, allegedly earlier in the Cypriot Register of Legal Entities, Yuri Trofimov, a man with the same name and surname as the head of the RCIF and longtime associate Kirill Dmitriev, was listed as one of the leaders of Laksont Holdings Limited. Now the company's management has changed (apparently, away from sin). But screenshots of the old composition with the name of Yuri Trofimov have been preserved on the Web!

Photo: https://kom1.net/articles/166765-kak_dmitriev_c_chekunovym_pereshli_rubikon

Even more curious is that the second offshore, Exarzo Holdings Limited, at least previously co-owned Detsky Mir Vladimir Yevtushenkov, who received loans from RDIF. In addition, the same offshore company in 2019 entered the Chizhik tram project developed by Transport Concession Company LLC. The project also included IC "Leader" Pavel Prass - the owner of a mass of concession companies in the housing and communal services sector.

All this is wonderful, but let's not forget that Rubikon was pumped up with budget money, and 25% of the structure belonged to the Far East Development Fund. Apparently, both he and offshore companies can be personal money boxes of Kirill Dmitriev, and a person with the name and surname of Yuri Trofimov could only be a "face value." Not without benefit for yourself personally, of course...

And is it for such a person to give to the leadership a huge state corporation, which should invest in the development of the Russian economy?

There is another story. We have previously tracked offshore companies that may be related to Dmitriev. Several years ago, a woman called the editorial number, who introduced herself as the alleged ex-wife of Kirill Dmitriev. She claimed that there were much more offshore companies behind him that he allegedly did not pay child support, and she was ready to tell the press about them.

Kirill Dmitriev. Photo: https://gxpnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1-32.jpg

However, after an agreement was reached on a meeting and a substantive conversation, she suddenly disappeared from all radars, stopped answering calls. According to evil tongues, allegedly she could fear threats and pressure from the alleged ex-spouse.

We cannot confirm this information for the above reasons. But if this is true, it is unlikely that Kirill Dmitriev's employer in the person of the Russian state will like it.