It's no secret that not only the vast majority of senior and middle leaders of Russia came from St. Petersburg, but also all important government strategic initiatives are tested in the northern capital. This can be applied to the first technologies of privatization, the joint between crime and police, the “securitization” of the leadership, and the first state-private partnerships in the non-resource economy ... And now the city on the Neva is a major supplier of information on the fight against corruption - even taking into account the all-Russian themes.

 

Breakthrough from businessmen to officials

It is possible to note a number of regularities observing the corruption cases over the past few days in St. Petersburg. The first and most important: there is no doubt that the current “anti-corruption fight” is an ongoing redistribution of regional markets. This is confirmed by the “pipe case” and St. Petersburg’s echoes of revelations of military corruption.

On December 10, officers of Moscow operational investigative group arrived in St. Petersburg again. They were given three dozens of sealed envelopes. There was a specific address in each envelop, data of the person involved, and a resolution of the Investigative Committee on execution of the search. In the morning of December 11, the officers left for the addresses. By lunchtime, two dozens of people, including former chairman of the Energy Committee of the city administration Oleg Trishkin were brought to the building on Tchaikovsky Street. Then interrogations began. As a result, the detached officers went back to the capital and took away Mr. Trishkin. The Director of Mostservis was also going to be arrested, but he went on to cooperate with the investigation - and was left at large. The operatives also visited the apartment of the former chairman of the Energy Committee Alexander Bobrov, who headed the Office before Trishkin. They checked some more addresses, but couldn’t find Bobrov. As it turned out later, he had been warned in advance (despite the envelopes) and he had rushed on the run. On December 12, Bobrov was put on the federal wanted list.

The places of accidents in 2011-2012 do not coincide with the places of where pipes were being laid by Petrokomom, which leaders had been arrested earlier. This year, only two “corruption” pipes burst. All other heating pipelines which burst throughout the year and continue to break today have no relation to the arrested businessmen. It is symptomatic that the center of gravity of the investigation shifted from business to bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, accidents proceed. For less than two months, there were about 30 major breakthroughs on heating mains in all city districts of St. Petersburg. The answer to the question “Who is to blame?” has been already received. All complaints of St. Petersburg residents can be answered by the initiation of proceedings on the “pipe case”. This is its political background.

 

Spring of pipe case

It should be noted that absolutely all of the firms work in the same way as the Petrocom. The federal law on state order does not allow doing differently. For example, in September 2012, Most-Service Company (it is also included in the criminal case and “receives” searches) won a tender for reconstruction of high-level networks. It is estimated that the price for 1 meter of the pipe with a diameter of 530-710 mm should not exceed 3070 rubles. Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant sells the pipes for 10 thousand rubles per meter. Therefore, such a procedure as removing of insulation from gas pipes and replacing it to “heating” pipes becomes common and the service is quite legal. In industrial volumes, it is provided by several plants. This means that during the last 10 years in St. Petersburg, only used and “turned” gas pipes were put in the heating system. They knew it at the Smolny. But until the end of 2011 - beginning of 2012, nobody saw anything criminal in the issue. And suddenly there were landing, exhumation, examination, criminal case, searches, detention center.

Alexander Bobrov came to Smolny in 2003, when Valentina Matviyenko began to form her own team. Now he heads Inzhspetsstroy-Project - officially registered partnership, bringing together Petrocom, Rustrubprom, Most-service, and other companies, which won the city tender competitions even yesterday and now they “compete” in a criminal case. Vladislav Petrov was Bobrov’s deputy. Later he “passed forward” another reformer of St. Petersburg energy complex - Oleg Trishkin. He stayed head of the committee from 2009 until 2011. The tenders won by the persons currently involved in the criminal case, including Petrocom, were just at that time.

And at the time Vladislav Petrov successfully abandoned the game: he led the Krasnoselsky District of St. Petersburg, and only in December of last year, he was invited by Georgy Poltavchenko to return to the Smolny. However, Petrov really got stuck deep in the “pipe case”, and even before his colleagues did.

Meanwhile, at the end of 2011, Arthur Mikhailovich Trinoga, recent Muscovite, a former deputy head of Mostransgaz LLC and chairman of the board of the Moscow Heat Distribution Company, was appointed head of GUP TEK SPb subordinated to Smolny. His father Michail Trinoga was an adviser to President Dmitry Medvedev, and now he serves as Deputy Head of the Government Administration of Vladislav Surkov. Coincidentally, the troubles of contractors of highways repair market occurred shortly after Arthur Trinoga’s coming into the GUP TEK. Already in April, police were digging pipes. It seems that the media announced the name of Arthur Mikhailovich is getting to the main spring of the events ...

 

Swiss watch and floor on Italian street

There was an article appeared in St. Petersburg media, which was deadly for public opinion, - about the former Minister of Agriculture Yelena Skrynnik. After her birthday party photos from two years ago had appeared in the Network, bloggers rushed to estimate the furniture and guests of the person involved in the next corruption scandal. It is enough to tell that, looking at the pictures, Ksenia Sobchak identified on one of the guests Ademars Piguet watches in a yellow frame for 40 000 euros.

The note is deadly. Now the main contingent of reading public is 'middle-aged' ladies. They won't forgive such things.
In addition, there special claims are made against ex-Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov in St. Petersburg. As if he had personally signed certain powers of attorney on some strange persons. In the northern capital, Ministry of Defense owned a technical floor of the building on Italian street, 12. It was estimated by independent experts at 140 million rubles. However, the almighty Oboronservis intervened to the affair. And the floor was sold to VTN company for 80 million rubles. It was done without any announcement of the auction and without notice to the Director of condominium “Italian, 12” Valentin Elbek and under the power of attorney, signed personally Anatoly Serdyukov on a certain Alexander Kostyashin.

 

REFERENCE 1 Rumafia.com

In the spring of 2011, personnel changes continued in the energy cluster of St. Petersburg. The Head of the Committee on Energy and Engineering Oleg Trishkin left his post. This is the third major personnel decisions in the energy sector of St. Petersburg after taking the office by the Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Let's remind that at the beginning of November of this year, the General Director of the largest heat-suppling enterprise of the city GUP TEK SPb (the State Unitary Enterprise “Fuel and Energy Complex of St. Petersburg”) Alexander Isaev retired. His place was taken by Arthur Trinoga came from Gazprom JSC.

Source: Kommersant, December 5, 2011

 

On November 7, 2012, GUP TEK SPb filed a lawsuit for bankruptcy of KinostudiaLenfilm JSC. The reason for the lawsuit was the debt of the film studio to heat and power engineering enterprises in the amount of 545 thousand rubles, while its total debt was around 2 million.

“A claim for bankruptcy is only a tool to get our money. We apply this tool not because it is Lenfilm or is not – we only want to get the money”, a representative of the GUP TEK SPb said.

On November 8, GUP TEK SPb withdrew the claim for recognition of Lenfilmbankrupt. As a representative of the studio Valery Karpov said, the Director General of Lenfilm Eduard Pichugin had agreed about it with the Director General of TEK SPb Arthur Trinoga.

Source: Delovoy Peterburg, November 8, 2012

 

At the end of August 2012, the problem of consumer debts to heat-supplying enterprises of St. Petersburg was discussed at the meeting of the interdepartmental commission (IDC). The total amount of debt to energy companies amounted to more than 6.5 billion rubles. Deputy Governor Sergey Kozyrev supervising housing and communal services could not figure out where exactly the money disappeared.

The Deputy Chairman of the Housing Committee Valery Vogachev said that, according to his data, the heat total debt amounted to 4.8 billion rubles. But suddenly Vogachev immediately declared that the debt didn’t actually exist. According to his version, that was the fault of the heat energy meters installed in 80% of the city's buildings, which only took stock of received energy and didn’t took stock of heating system losses on the way from heat-supplying enterprises to consumers. All these losses GUP TEK and Teploset SPb JSC (St. Petersburg Heating Grid) shifted onto management companies (MC) and housing and municipal services (ZhKS). Vogachev noted that MC and ZhKS “saw” no money, and services for the heat were automatically paid through the Computer Center of Collective Using. Chairman of the Housing Committee Valery Shiyan confirmed that enterprises supplying with resources pinned their losses on housing organizations and suggested the companies to go to courts. The General Director of GUP TEKArthur Trinoga explained that now he had 2.5 thousand inconsistent reconciliation acts, and if they went to court with each of them, then the company would ruin itself by court costs.

On the results of the meeting, Kozyrev charged the Housing Committee to prepare plans-schedules on collection of receivables payable to the TGC-1 and GUP TEK by October 1, 2012.

Source: Kommersant, August 31, 2012

 

With coming of Arthur Trinoga, the GUP TEK SPb expanded its sphere of influence, experts said even last spring. Players of the market then were anxiously watching how employees of technical supervision of the GUP were carrying out unscheduled inspections of the condition of heating mains at some definite areas - exclusively those owned by subcontractors (PetrocomSMU-53, etc.) who had won the tenders of the City Committee on Energy and Engineering. By the way, until recently Arthur Trinoga was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mezhregionteplosetyenergoremont JSC. The fact is not criminal, but in the context of all the events it is also very symbolic. It is interesting that there is no word about that in his official biography posted on the website of GUP TEK SPb. Probably it was done in order not to discomfort St. Petersburg subcontractors and not to produce “unnecessary” talks about Moscow expansion.

But it began to be discussed as soon as investigators began digging out thePetrocom and Rustrubprom. First visits of investigators began even in April of this year. At the same time, by coincidence, there were several subversive acts with pipes of Rustrubprom at some construction objects. For example, during the night of March 1, two homeless people were detained in the Vyborg district; they had filled up a pipe of DN-600, as it would be written in the police report, with “unidentified liquid”. The pipe, being prepared to installation, was damaged. Its further installation was impossible. And on April 4, at one of the building objects (where  a heating main was also being constructed) at the corner of Lunacharsky Prospect and Culture Prospect, four grenades wrapped in a plastic bag were found in the dug trench. Police considered those cases as hooliganism. But the market started and hid. And, as it turned out, it was not for nothing. Energy complex of St. Petersburg is actively being cleaned - from corrupt officials or from competitors. We will be able to understand that very soon -when it becomes clear who and for what price now is to supply with pipes.

... As it is stated in the Smolny, it will need at least 100 billion rubles and ten years of tireless work to bring the energy industry of St. Petersburg in a viable state. It is 10 billion rubles per the year. However, experts argue that this figure is even understated. Now laying of only one kilometer of heating networks costs at average 60 million rubles. According to Arthur Trinoga, the modernization requires more than 4 thousand kilometers of heating networks. In total it goes to 240 billion rubles. The 3 billion stolen by Trishkin from the budget seem to be a real trifle against this background.

Source: Moskovsky Komsomolets, December 12, 2012


REFERENCE 2 Rumafia.com

In 1992 Trinoga was appointed deputy head of secretariat of the RF Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. He held this office until 1998, when Chernomyrdin left his position. Then Trinoga was invited to the headquarters of Our Home - Russiamovement, led by Chernomyrdin. But once Chernomyrdin was becoming less and less powerful, Trinoga moved to Gazprom public corporation.
Source: Kommersant-Vlast, 19 May 2008

Reports say that his son, Artour Trinoga, works for  Gazprom and his daughter Natalia, who in 2003 graduated from  Gubkin State Oil and Gas University, is a bank employee.
Source: Oil-gas.ru, 12 April 2004

In November 2005, by order of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Trinoga was appointed head of the secretariat of Medvedev as the first deputy prime-minister. According to analysts, the fact that 
Medvedev's secretariat was headed by Trinoga, "one of the most experienced Russian officials'', indicates that the new first vice-premier can be considered as a possible successor of Vladimir Putin as Russian president.
Source: Politkom.ru, 12 January 2005

  Medvedev was reported to have found a powerful ally at Gazprom  - Alisher Usmanov. " In private he made no secret of counting on Medvedev and admitted that he only needed those media [KommersantGazeta.ru newspapers and  Sekret Firmy publishing house   - Rumafia] until the elections ",  an official close to the Kremlin said. Usmanov influenced on the successor's team as well "In particular, many people believe that it was he who suggested Mikhail Trinoga as the head of Medvedev's secretariat ", - the source said.
Source: SmartMoney, 17 December 2007

In 2008, when Medvedev appointed Trinoga as his adviser it was regarded as a demotion. According to a former employee of Vladimir Putin's administration,  ''the status of the presidential adviser is rather a pension, than an opportunity " as opposed to presidential aides, who can have real influence on decision-making. Governmental officials expected Trinoga to be appointed deputy chief of  Presidential Administration, or at least an assistant to the president.
Source: Oil and gas forum, 14 May 2008

In  2009 the total amount of  Mikhail Trinoga's declared annual income was  3.1 million rubles. He owned  a land plot with an area of 1024 sq. m., a 406.4 sq. m. house, and two apartments with an area of 81.2 and 194.7 sq. m.  His wife earned 407 thousand rubles. She declared two apartments with an area of 70.7 and 96.27 sq. m. and Audi A6 car of the approximate price over 1, 587 million rubles (known from audi-taganka.ru).
Source: Gazeta.Ru, 13 April  2010

Blue Buckets, the Internet community fighting against abuse of flashing lights,  published a list of  holders of "privileged" state car numbers containing letters AMR (the main government series of car numbers). A078MR97 was a number of  Mikaill Trinoga's car.
Source: GZT.Ru, 28 February 2011

Artour Trinoga was appointed director-general of St. Petersburg Fuel and Energy Complexstate unitary enterprise.  Formerly, he worked  for Gazprom as the department head of energy engineering management at the electricity sector and  power marketing managing directorate.  

Source: ZakS.Ru,  1 November 2011


REFERENCE 3 Rumafia.com

When a student, Surkov earned his living from making jeans that were hard-to-get at that time  and from hack  writing for  enterprising publishers of Vladimir Gusinsky's team. He wrote romance novels full of teasing erotic scenes  like "She put her arms around his knees and his hard penis --" They were very popular as during the Soviet period people could only read flat books censored by the Communist party.

Source: Stringer, 25 June 2003

 
 Since the very start of his advertising career Vladislav Surkov preferred to take a shortcut in settling issues. Thus, in 1990 he paid a  tidy sum to editors of Stolitsa magazine  for  promotion of Menatep Group. That kind of activity was not legally regulated at that time so both publishers and advertisers acted  at  their own risk.

Source: Kommersant,  2  July 2008


 By the first half of 1990  lobbying practice had not been integrated in the State Duma yet.  Since the Soviet time there had been a simple game plan  left:   a faction leader was summoned to the Kremlin, told what to vote for and promised a recompense and a kickback. Everything else went without system. Surkov and his associate deputy Vadim Boiko were rumoured to develop lobbying tactics and   price list for services offered by Parliament members. The duo put it on a scientific basis and organized  complicated and multilevel lobbying system.

Source: Stringer, 25 June 2003 


 In 1997  Surkov felt unappreciated and  asked management of Menatep Group and Mikhail Khodorkovsky personally  to make him  a partner, let him took part in managing the group and  raise his award fee for each official bribed. Khodorkovsky flatly refused to do that. Being too ambitious, Surkov quit  Menatep Group. Since then his  rancor has been much spoken about.
Source: forum-msk.org, 21 December 2005

 
  While working for the TV company owned by Boris Berezovsky, Surkov said,  "It's a myth that Boris Berezovsky does what he likes. The more so because Berezovsky is not a man of the conflict. On the contrary, he tries his best to avoid all these wars in future.''

 Later, when invited to the Kremlin  with Berezovsky's assistance, he had a hand in driving him out of media space. In 2002 Surkov said, ''Berezovsky seeks for a conflict. Obviously, he finally realized that he would get nothing from the people close to the president and went to the provinces to foment a rebellion."

Source: Moskovskiye Novosti, 19 February 2004 


In  autumn 1999   experts  called Surkov  "a brilliant communicator " and  "a creative PR expert and consultant  able to anticipate certain events."    Surkov's first brainchild was reported to be Unity election bloc founded in 1999 as a counterweight to Yevgeny Primakov's  and Yuri Luzhkov's Fatherland is  the wholeRussia bloc that was gaining popularity at the moment.  Actually, Surkov borrowed an  idea of ​​establishing a powerful alliance of the regional officials  loyal to the Kremlin  from  Boris Berezovsky and former deputy head of Presidential Administration Sergei Zverev.

 After Unity  had allied with  Fatherland  Surkov, while speaking at a meeting ofFatherland's members in July 2001,  said that at last it was possible to correct " a historic mistake"  and to overcome the "cleavage" between  Unity  and   Fatherland   which had  formerly been political opponents. In 2003 the bloc  was renamed as United Russia political party. Surkov   at the same time was called  a co-founder and  the main  ideologist  of United Russia  as a "party of the power".  Surkov was also said to lead the party to victory in parliamentary elections in December 2003.
Source: RIA Novosti, 11 July 2001, Political news Agency22 April 2005


  Surkov was  directly involved in establishing  several youth movements in Russia. For instance, he was associated  with  Going Together pro-presidential youth movement  founded in 2000. The movement was headed by former employee of the Presidential Administration Vasily Yakimenko. The first major event arranged byGoing Together  was a meeting held in the centre of Moscow  on  7  November 2000. The movement brought together about 6000 people who called upon for "no drinking", "no smoking", "no using dirty  language" and for ''supporting  Vladimir Putin''. Going Together  was reported to be  "a failure"  as the movement  became  notorious for its narrow-mindedness and eventually began to discredit Putin in the opinion of both domestic and world public. Going Togetherwas reported to be founded only for money making.

Source: Kommersant, 21 February 2005


   In 2005  The Ours movement was established to replace Going Together. On 21 February  2005  in St. Petersburg  Surkov and Yakimenko met with  "commissars" of the new youth movement.  They tried to avoid the attention of mass media.

 Surkov and Yakimenko promised to their supporters that by 2008  a new "party of the power" would be founded on the basis of  The Ours. They  emphasized that their plan had been approved by Vladimir Putin.

 In  summer  2005 3000 activists from 45 regions of Russia gathered at the camp of  The Ours on Seliger lake. Advisor to the head of the Presidential Administration  Gleb Pavlovsky  arrived at the rally and urged the activists to be ready  "to resist physically attempted unconstitutional coup".  Surkov, in turn, said,  "Grow up quickly and we will give you the country." The Ours soon got low reputation and, in fact, repeated all the mistakes of  Going Together.

Source: Polit.Ru, 16 December 2005


  Surkov's original philosophy is that there is no freedom in the world. He believes that all democratic systems  are actually manageable, so that the key to success is the ability to influence people  giving them an illusion of freedom  despite  virtual governance. According to Surkov, the only freedom is "the artistic one''.

And so in 2006 Surkov  developed an unconventional concept of "sovereign democracy" and took part in establishing the second wing  of the political system in Russia, Just  Russia, that was to become a party to a full-fledged  two-party system. It is therefore suspected that Surkov contributed to liquidation  of Yukosin 2003. His grudge against Khodorkovsky only aggravated the conflict, but the real reason was  Khodorkovsky's attempt to finance  SPS opposition party and the Communist Party, that is, to beat Surkov.

Source: Kommersant, 22 November 2010


  In 2011  Surkov masterminded the ban on initial public offering of the securities of Domodedovo international airport  in London. Government bodies had been coming  on the largest private airport in Russia since  summer  2010 when  Master Bank, which serviced Surkov's agencies, refused to meet their credit obligations attached to the securities of a contractor of Domodedovo airport for about $ 1 billion rubles.

 The largest action of the campaign against the owners of Domodedovo was a terrorist attack at the airport on 24 January  2011  in which 35 people were killed. A few hours later Surkov's analysts reported to president Medvedev  that primary responsibility for making the attack possible should be  imposed  on  the airport administration. The report seemed to be carefully prepared beforehand.  

  Surkov  was rumoured to plan  bringing  a network of Moscow airports under a single control, so  he sought to take  Domodedovo from  its  current owners. It was said that Surkov was going to leave  the Kremlin in 2012 therefore he tried to arrange for himself a job as a manager of the united  network of Moscow airports.

Source: Stringer.Ru, 31 May 2011 


REFERENCE 4 Rumafia.com

Media's attention to Skrynnik and her past performance increased when she obtained the position of Minister of Agriculture of Russia in March 2009. But the first scandal record refers to 2003, when Skrynnik was the leader of the leasing company Rosagroleasing. Deputy Transport Minister of RF, N. Smirnova published the letter on the website "Kompromat.ru, in which she exposed Skrynnik's activities in her position and described the working scheme of the scroll budget, which Skrynnik proceeded.

The scheme is as follows: all Russian factories working with Skrynnik opened an account not only in the public "Rosselkhozbank", but also in the commercial "Akademhimbank» (now Converse bank-Moscow"). Its chairman, Mr. Antonov had previously held the post of the first Deputy Director General in “Rosagrolizing». According to the letter, the second account in Antonov's bank was a prerequisite for cooperation with "Rosagroleasing. Under this scheme, as soon as budgets fell on account of "Rosagrolizing", they were reallocated among the equipment suppliers — some Russian engineering companies; and then they got shifted into the accounts in the commercial "Akademhimbank” and were kept there for years without being redeemed.

In addition to he above-stated accusations, the article contained excerpts of the Accounting Chamber inspection of the "Rosagrolizing", which confirmed that the funds received by the company for the purchase of agricultural technology, had not been fully spent. Furthermore, among the revealed infringements the following episodes were designated:

The money made in the charter capital of OAO “Rosagrolizng”, JSC "Agricultural Bank of Russia" and SUE «Federal agency on regulation of the food market”, had been on 99% used for salaries, taxes, commissions and bank licenses, but not to conduct activities under the statute.

According to the contract of 28 January 2002 between CJSC "Moscow investment real estate company" and OAO "Rosagroleasing» a search of the property had been ordered. As a result of the contract execution a compensation amounted to 30 thousand dollars was paid to ZAO Moscow investment real estate agency ".

After the Accounting Chamber had counted that equipment's credit cost the farmer 40 percent more, the percentage dropped to 2-3 per year. But thus "Rosagroleasing» took almost all the property as a deposit, and in case of non-payments under the credit the farmer risked to remain not only without the technics, but without a thing at all.

In fact Skrynnik was an autocratic ruler of "Rosagroleasing». Her mother and brother Leonid Novitsky worked under her supervision. After appointment of Skrynnik as the minister her post in "Rosagrolizinge" passed to her brother.

Skrynnik formed a team of supporters, which included the Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, who headed the board of directors in “Rosagrolizing ", and even President Dmitry Medvedev, who had worked with Skrynnik on the national project "Agriculture ". 
"Madame Leasing" Stringer", 08.07.2003, "How Skrynnik learned to plow" "interlocutor", 07.04.2009

At the end of 2009 the State Office of Public Prosecutor inspected activity of "Rosagrolizing", and identified a number of infringements. In particular, the company created a network of intermediaries between the company and the lessees, which led to more expensive services of the company. In addition, after the conclusion of contracts for the equipment sale in certain cases "Rosagroleasing" enumerated the vendors hundreds of millions of rubles as a prepayment, while the equipment was delivered in long periods of time, up to a year. All that time the private companies could use the funds for their own purposes, including to list them on the company's deposit accounts and offshore. Prosecutors remained dissatisfied with the fact that the company had not opened regional offices, while in 2007 the board of directors had decided to establish 11 branches of the company.

After prosecutor general office checking the in late November 2009 the first Deputy of Prime Minister, in charge of agriculture, as well as Chairman of the Board of Directors Zubkov convened an extraordinary board of directors of “Rosagrolizing». He demanded that the company's General Director, Leonid Orsik returned the money that had been transferred to offshore contractors and deposits and stoped advancing non-produced equipment and ensured equal access to federal leasing of all manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Orsik was to report on the elimination of deficiency at the January meeting of the Board of Directors "Rosagrolizing', but on December 31 he died of an acute heart failure at age 48.

Experts assume that the problems of Skrynnik could have appeared because of her disagreements with Zubkov, as he was interested in the fact that all the questions of agrarian policy concentrated on him personally. In addition, he had to react harshly to the violations in the "Rosagroleasing» to lift himself out of the blow, as he had been heading the board of directors of the company. 
Rosagroleasing has squandered the budget for corporative events" "Gazeta", 20.11.2009, "Vedomosti", 02.02.2010

In early 2010 the Accounting Chamber inspected the federal budget usage aimed at implementation of interventions in the markets of agricultural products, raw materials and food in the late 2008. According to the inspection report, the unplanned budget expenditures in 2010 for the storage of 8 million tons of grain that had been purchased in the cereal intervention in 2008-2009, would have amounted to 8 billion rubles. They failed to sell this grain during the crisis, and now the money spent are getting literally rot.

According to the mechanism of grain interventions the part of the new crop of cheap grain is purchased with the possibility of selling it to higher price. This state agent receives a fixed fee for the intervention, and profit gained from the price "smoothing" at the grain market is transferred to the budget. When a record number of grain was baught in 2008 theAgency on regulation of the food market (ARPR) acted as the state agent (led by Vasily Krutin).

The Accounting Chamber auditor Mikhail Odintsov questioned the necessity and legitimacy of the intervention in 2008 on such a scale. He argued that part of the grain had been purchased on the basis of illegitimate orders of the Ministry of Agriculture, who failed to pass the duly registration of the RF Ministry of Justice. The grain was purchased in the amount of 970 million rubles under the "invalid orders" of the Ministry, then headed by Alexei Gordeev,.

Skrynnik claimed at the presidium of the Government, that the purchased quantity of grain allowed the State to support the grain producers by stabilizing prices and establishing a financial foundation for the field work. 
The Intervention has been remembered for its account "Kommersant, 05.02.2010, Kommersant, 05.02.2010

Companies that "Rosagroleasing” had been working with were not strangers to Skrynnik. In 1998 Skrynnik established in Moscow three companies - "Rusmedinvest-M", "Medlizing" and Russian medical company. In 2000, the Russian medical company, "Medlizing" and their joint company "Investregionlizing" through affiliated structures (OOO Himgarantkonstruktsiya "," Montazhstroykonstruktsiya "and" Akademrieltservis ") acquired 15% of Akademhimbank. Subsequently, the majority of technology vendors of "Rosagroleasing» became the bank's customers.

The other two companies related to Skrynnik - TD "Grain" and "Voronezh land" - were also at least partially based on a partnership with the leasing state company. Both of them were established in 2002 and were selling the grain and paid with it to "Rosagroleasing» as the farmers never had hard cash.

The main claims of the General Prosecutor referred to the relationship of "Rosagrolizing» with Saransk Excavator Plant (JSC" Sarex "). Prosecution argued (with reference to information of Rosfinmonitoring) that "Sarex" transferred the money obtained from the "Rosagrolizing» to the bank deposits, as well as to some commercial organization, which operations were connected with the withdrawal of money to offshore.

"Sarex" was also connected to the structures of Skrynnik. In April 2007 the company Agroevrosoyuz owned 50.42% of the “Sarex's” stake. "Agroevrosoyuz" was established in 2002 by TD "Grain".

In May 25 the Board of Directors of Sarex was modified significantly. It included inter alia: the general director of "Agroevrosoyuz» and former member of the legal department" Rosagrolizing» Yuri Karpov, the head of purchasing department of "Rosagrolizing» Vladimir Dryazgov, president of «Medlizing» Leonid Zubovsky, the chief of physician Aesthetic Center «Swiss Perfection» Evgeny Makarov, a member of the expert council "Rosagrolizing" Alexander Ezhevsky and Leonid Orsik, at the time headed the Department of Science and Technology Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture. The same as in Akademhimbank case, the arrival of the Skrynnik's team to the plant led to its prosperity. State orders from "Rosagrolizing" helped "Sarex" in 2008 to become the largest Russian manufacturer of tractors.

When Skrynnik came to the Ministry of Agriculture she took the entire "Rosagrolizing" team with her. Two deputy general director of the company - Sergei Korolev and Oleg Aldoshin — became the deputies minister. The Deputy Minister was also the former CEO of "Volgogradagrolizinga" - one of the partners of sublizing partners of "Rosagrolizing" - Alexander Belyaev. Deputy Head of Department of "Rosagrolizing Vyacheslav Nungezer headed the department of scientific and technological policy of the Ministry; and the head of department on work with the leasing companystaff Olga Dulepova-Meneylyuk — went to the relevant department of Ministry of Agriculture. Starting from August 2009 the former co-owner of the leasing company "Lipetskagrosnab" and the head of the regional units "Rosagrolizing» Oleg Don headed by the administrative department of the Ministry of Agriculture. 
"Vedomosti", 02.02.2010

There were also scandals related to the two ex-husbands of Skrynnik. In January 2010, the former husband of Skrynnik ( as a student) Sergei Skrynnik had been holding a position of chief of the government procurement of the material management in the Chelyabinsk region. Then he was arrested for taking bribes in Chelyabinsk. According to investigators, he had over taking bribed within the whole 2009, paid by the commercial firms for the patronage at auction. A criminal case for "taking bribes on a large scale" had been opened. The materials received from the UBEP (Directorate for Combating Economic Crimes) inspections of the regional police department became basis for the case. According to the investigative authorities, in September and December 2009 Skrynnik together with unknown persons received over 300 thousand rubles and as well as expensive alcohol from the representatives of the business organizations. Bribes had been given for illegal actions of applications acceptance with violence of terms and for the admission to participation in auction, and also for the general protection with the assistance of those commercial organisations in auctions, and for elimination of the competing organisations out of the competitions. Prosecution of Skrynnikov has not been brought yet . 
"The State auctioneer has been estimated at 300 thousand rubles of bribes" "Kommersant", 16.01.2010

Yuri Kukota married Skrynnik in 2004, he wrote a statement to the police, accusing her of murder threats. In 2005 Kukoty and Skrynnik had two children born, Michael and Irina. Two years later the marriage cracked. Skrynnik filed for divorce, then did not allow him to see the children. According to Kukota, he suggested Skrynnik to meet and discuss the issue, while Skrynnik together with he security threatened him with physical violence. According to Skrynnik, Kukota asked her to marry him again, and she promised to think about it. Criminal case has not been initiated yet. 
Life.Ru, 04.06.2009


REFERENCE 5 Rumafia.com

Since her childhood Ksenia Sobchak was acquainted with Vladimir Putin, who under Anatoly Sobchak was an adviser on international relations to the chairman of  Leningrad City Council and chairman of the Mayor's Office and also was the first deputy chairman of St. Petersburg administration. Ksenia prefers not to talk about their acquaintance.

Source: The Guardian, 03 June, 2006


In 1997-1998 the first scandalous publications on Ksenia Sobchak appeared. They immediately provoked sharp reaction of people close to Ksenia. State Duma deputy Oleg Finko and Lyudmila Narusova, Sobchak's mother, applied to the Trial Chamber. Narusova demanded to protect her "family, including minor daughter from harassment and slander."

Source: Kto est kto, No.4, 2003 


 Sobchak's media projects, starting from  notorious  Dom-2 reality show on love and relationships, suffered social ostracism. She was criticized for "exploiting  mean human foibles", while using her parents' name and connections, and  for ''self-advertising and satisfying of unabated vanity" on the air.

Sources: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 1 April, 2005


Moscow Duma deputies called Dom-2the reality show on love and relationships, immoral and blamed Sobchak for pandering and pimping.

Source: Parlamentskaya gazeta, 16 June, 2005 


In 2009 Olga Rodionova, the wife of tycoon Sergei Rodionov, was outraged because of utterly rude remarks Sobchak made during award ceremony of SilverBoot, the prize for dubious advance in different walks of life. Sobchak declared Rodionova to be a winner of the "Naked and funny" nomination due to Rodionova's album of pictures titled The Book of Olga, where she posed naked. Sobchak was charged to pay Rodionova 20 000 rubles compensation for moral losses by a court decision.

Source: Express-gazeta, 21 January, 2010 


On February 2010 it became known that Sobchak had purchased 0.1 % ofEuroset shares from owner of the company Alexander Mamut. It cost her one million dollar. Sobchak said she had "wanted to make certain  investments." On June of that year Sobchak invested 17 million rubles in the construction of Bublikcafe on Tverskoy Boulevard in Moscow. She owned more than 33 % of the project share, as well as other two investors – co-owners of Ginza Projectcompany Dmitry Sergeyev and Vadim Lapin.

Source: Kommersant, 25 June, 2010 

 
On 9 December, 2010 eminent public figure and leader of Anti-Sobchakmovement Mikhail Shusharin was found dead at one of the abandoned houses of Salekhard city. An axe was stuck in his back. Shusharin was not so close to political circles to blame politicians for the contract killing. Shusharin did not avoid foul means for self-display, though. Thus, on 23  September, 2009 in Let Them TalkTV-programme broadcast all over the country, Shusharin said that Ksenia Sobchak was pregnant from him. Later he took his residence in a box, as he carried out protest action in the streets of Sergiev-Posad, a town near Moscow. He demanded to remove  Ksenia from TV in this way.

 Sobchak refused to give any comments on Shusharin's death. She said she had been totally indifferent to the activities of Mikhail Shusharin and had not been interested in hiring a killer because Shusharin had never been a danger to her career.

 Source: Salekhard News.ru, 10 December, 2010

On September 2011  eccentric  actor and former clergyman Ivan Okhlobystin announced he would run for presidency. Noted socialite Ksenia Sobchak immediately offered Okhlobystin her help in governing the country and thrust herself on prime-minister position.

 Source: BCM, 07 September, 2011

 

REFERENCE 6 Rumafia.com

As written in the press, in the 80’s Serdyukov traded walls in a furniture store "Dresden" in Leningrad, then he had obtained serious relationships, friendships with the directors of major department stores.

Source: "Moskovsky Komsomolets" from 01.03.2007

It was reported that head of the Federal Tax Service of Russia, deputy head of presidential administration, then presidential aide - Viktor Ivanov played a key role in Serdyukov’s appointment in November 2001.

The press wrote that when leading the Federal Tax Service, Serdyukov had completely changed the people who hold key positions in those areas working with major taxpayers. Colleagues of Serdyukov from St. Petersburg replaced them.

Source: "Kommersant" from 16.02.2007

It was reported that under Serdyukov the FTS went permanently closed to journalists.

As written in the press, some experts estimate the activity of Serdyukov as head of FTS in a positive way, while others were of the opinion that he had ruined the tax office.

Source: Vedomosti , № 28 (1802) on 16.02.2007

In 2004, the press mentioned Serdyukov in connection with the scandal of tax claims by OAO “VimpelCom” for 157 million dollars. As reported, Serdyukov dismissed Alexey Klimov – manager who had been bent on that interregional inspection N7. The official reason for dismissal was that Klimov had willfully filed the claims against the company, without consulting the leadership. But the press noted that he could hardly dare to undertake such a step. The shareholders of VimpelCom were Alfa Group and holding Telenor associated with the Norwegian Government. The tax claims against VimpelCom, as written in the press, could have appeared in connection with the conflict over the shares of MegaFon, and Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman allegedly had been linked to it partly. According to the media, dismissal of Klimov could mean that VimpelCom had agreed with the stakeholders – i.e.government and those who had relation to the shares in MegaFon.

Source: skandaly.ru on 10.02.05 with reference to the "Novaya Gazeta», newsru.com of 15 December 2004

In 2005, the press reported that Serdyukov, as the head of the Federal Tax Service, was able to convey his opinion to President Putin, bypassing his supervisor - Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin. As reported, Serdyukov did so through the then deputy head of Kremlin administration, Igor Sechin. As written in the press, the most famous example of insubordination was a letter by Serdyukov writing they needed to change the system for collecting tobacco excise taxes, which fell to Putin’s table without a visa of Ministry of Finance, which had the opposite opinion on the matter.

Source: "Kommersant” № 145 (3229) on 06.08.2005

According to the press reports, the appointment of Serdyukov, who did not know military affairs and military language, the post of defense minister was a shock. Some called it a "humiliation of the army", which "will not help stabilize the country." Others felt that an "apparatus for implementing the president's plans” had been created." Still others argued that Serdyukov was to restore in the military financial discipline.

Sources: Kommersant »№ 25 (3601) on 16.02.2007, skandaly.ru on 18.09.07," The New Times "on 14.05.07

In 2007, the press reported that Defence Minister Serdyukov was rumored to be a candidate number 3 to "receive" Putin's presidency (the first two - Dmitry Medvedev and Sergey Ivanov).

Source: "Dengi” № 24 (630) from 25.06.2007

In March 2007 the press reported about the intention of the Minister of Defense to pass a crash course of training at the Military Academy of the General Staff designed specially for him so that he could get an idea of the strategy and operational art, the theater of operations, knowledge of the organization and management of the Armed Forces.

Source: "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" on 30.03.2007

As written in the press, the new Minister Serdyukov began his work with stripping the army leadership from henchmen of the former Defense Minister, as well - with getting control over the huge financial flows passing through the military department.

Source: "The New Times" on 14.05.07

 In October 2008, Serdyukov announced the beginning of the military reform, which provided a significant reduction in the total number of the armed forces. It was reported that the officer corps should have been be reduced from 315 thousand to 150 thousand people, the Institute of Ensigns and Warrant Officers was eradicated, the number of generals was reduced and the apparatus of the Ministry of Defense will decrease by two and a half times. According to the press reports, the system of military trade, military agriculture and some military federal state unitary enterprises were planned to be transferred to civilian OAO “Oboronservis”, and Center for procurement and supply of material and technical logistics means was redefined in the civilian Federal agency of procurement and supply.

As written in the press, shortly after the reform, information about it has become very proportioned. And in November, a disposal appeared prohibiting from distributing information about the progress of reforms, the problems and the morale climate of the troops.

Meanwhile, the press reported that due to existing disagreements with the reform, starting from the fall of 2008 a number of senior military commanders began to resign. It was also reported that representatives of the Communist Party openly challenged the reforms, saying the reform was"expensive" and "ill-conceived", "posing a threat to the country's defense”, as the army was loosing " highly qualified cadre” as a result of the downsizing . As the press wrote, the communists, even demanded the resignation of Serdyukov.

Source: Kommersant, № 218 (4035) 29.11.2008, Kommersant, № 196 (4013) on 28.10.2008, Kommersant, № 221 (4038), 04.12.2008, "Noviy Region 2", 03.12.2008

On February 21, 2008 Acting Chief of Service quartering and resettlement, Colonel-General Viktor Vlasov committed suicide. The press reported that on the eve of the death Vlasov had a conversation with Serdyukov, during which they discussed the fact that in the course of official inspections numerous violations had been revealed in the service controlled by Vlasov.

Source: newsru.com February 27, 2008, "Strana.ru" from 03.03.08

Serdyukov was mentioned in the press in connection with the scandal, which caused the death of hockey player of Omsk Avangard - Alexey Cherepanov. It was reported that the Chief of Cherepanov, the commander of the 48-th separate railway Omsk brigade Oleg Alborov, was proposed to write a letter of resignation. Alborov turned to reporters instead and published information about the corruption that pervades the system of the Army Sports. In particular, the colonel claimed that Cherepanov had never seen him. After the publicity Serdyukov signed an order of Alborov’s dismissal because he did not pass Certifying Commission in 2008.

 Sources: Kommersant № 237 (4054) on 26.12.2008," Noviy Region "from 30.10.08

According to the press, in the summer of 2008, foreign observers pointed out that there was a struggle for control over the army in Russia. And at that time civilians headed by the Minister Serdyukov were winning the fight.

Source: newsru.com December 3, 2008

In April 2009 the press reported that the Defense Ministry suspended the dismissal of generals and officers due to the restructuring activities. In this case the soldier was supposed to be paid a sum equal to 185 thousand rubles. In the absence of funds they began to offer the troops to quit on their own will, of course, without any compensation payments.

Source: newsru.com April 15, 2009

In April 2009 the press reported that Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov finished trimming the top management of the former personnel of Ministry of Defense. It was reported that almost all the key positions had been taken by Serdyukov’s insiders.

Source: novayagazeta.ru from 29.04.2009

In early 2010 the foreign press noted that despite numerous permutations in the leadership of Defense Ministry, Serdyukov failed to control the Russian armed forces.

Source: newsru.com on January 14, 2010

As written in the press, by December 2009, despite strong performances by opponents of the reform, the management structure of the army was considerably changed, and the officer corps was reduced significantly - from 355 thousand officers' posts to 150 thousand.

Source: “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” 30.12.2009

As written in the press, most of the leaders of Defense from Serdyukov appeal had never experienced the major military posts, had not fought in the hot spots.

Source: newsru.com March 24, 2008

It was reported that the reorganization of the army property was taken up by a group of people formed of top managers of the St. Petersburg construction companies connected with the corporation LSR (Lenstroyrekonstruktsiya in some way; it belonged to Senator Andrey Molchanov. According to the sources in the military directorate, there were such assistants to Serdyukov as Lev Vinnik (former head of the St. Petersburg administration of investments and top manager in LSR), Leonid Sorokko (ex-director general of ZAO "Petr Veliky”) and Alexander Gorubnov (resigned director general of St. Petersburg defense plant “Leninets ").

Source: Moskovsky Komsomolets on 13.11.07

As written in the press, the arrangement management of the Defense Ministry troops was led by Oleg Koval, who had previously worked as a foreman in various civil construction projects and rose to general director of OOO "Block Monolith”. Koval was reported to have no experience in military construction.

Source: Kompromat.ru, February 2008

According to the press, Serdyukov put Gregory Naginsky as the head of the quartering and arrangement. In the press he is told to be the father-founder of the construction company "Titan-2", a member of the Federation Council and the uncrowned emperor of Sosnovy Bor. As written in the press in early 2010, he is to dispose of 113 billion rubles allocated for the construction of housing for defenders of the Motherland in 2010.

Source: "Nasha versiya na Neve" from 28.01.2010

The press describes a number of scandals associated with the privatization of military equipment, referred to Serdyukov.

According to media reports, Serdyukov has gained the right to sell a number of properties belonging to the Ministry of Defense. The relevant documents reportedly were signed by the then Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.

Source: versia.ru on July 21, 2008

They wrote that Serdyukov obtained the right to "sell" the military objects in violation of the Russian law. He was supposed to sign the relevant papers not with his father-in-law, but with the head of the Federal Property Fund, as it is required by law.

Source: newsru.com24 March 2008

Press reported that with the advent of Serdyukov a project on the General Staff of the Navy, the Academy of Peter the Great, CSK complexes and many other objects moving from the capital to other cities has begun. They wrote that the building of the Minister of Defense on Myasnitskaya Street went by auction, thus, an old mansion of quartering and settlement service in the heart of Moscow was released from the officers.

Source: Kompromat.ru, February 2008

Acording to media reports, Serdyukov said that in 2008 the Defense Ministry planned to sell at auction more than 20 empty military installations throughout the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Vladivostok. As he insisted, all the money was to be solely for the acquisition of permanent housing and the construction of social facilities for the military.

Source: Kommersant-Online, 27.05.2008

Press wrote that a reformed Ministry of Defense auctioned off the two military camps in Moscow at a time: at the Rublevsky highway and in the Levoberezhny area.

Source: newsru.com on March 24, 2008

According to the press, the First Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Alexander Belousov was allegedly fired, due to the fact he did not want to give to the civilian businessmen the two land areas. Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov was reported to be a wrong person, as he was against the withdrawal of the Academy n.a. Zhukovsky from Moscow. And besides, he opposed active usage of military transport aircrafts on commercial purposes and insisted on dominance of the military in the ground-based deployment, not of civilian air fleet. Former Chief of Military Medical Command Igor Bykov reportedly opposed the transfer of military hospital from the Kamenny Island in St. Petersburg or its transfer to civilian businessmen.

Source: "Vremya novostey", 22.02.2008

In 2008, as written in the press, the Defense Ministry began to struggle for the property, land and finance of the public organization ROSTO (DOSAAF). There were about 7 thousands of real estate and land in most regions of Russia. By the end of 2009 the status of the ROSTO was changed from a public organization into the social and state one. Defense took control over financial flows of the organization, which was 12 billion rubles by 2008. Property value of ROSTO was estimated to be worth up to 1 trillion rubles at the time. They wrote that the leaders of ROSTO called the attack on the social organization a "blatant corporate raid."

Sources: Kommersant № 71 (3888) on 25.04.2008, Kommersant № 229 (4284) on 08.12.2009

Serdyukov was mentioned in the press in connection with the scandal of the Kubinka airfield realigning –it was used to be a base for the famous aerobatic teams of "Strizhi" and "Russkie Vityazi" - into an airport for business aviation. According to the press, ZAO "Airport" Kubinka” embarked to implement this project (owned by OOO "Nafta-Moscow", included in the financial-industrial group of Suleiman Kerimov).

Source: novayagazeta.ru from 15.06.2009

In 2008, the press reported that as a part of the deliverance of "unnecessary" property by the Ministry of Defense, the Military Engineering Academy was evicted from the Bulvarnoe Koltso, and the editorial department of the Military University - from the Sadovoe Koltso. Defense also gave up on Aviation Engineering Academy n.a. Zhukovsky and the Academy of Strategic Rocket Forces n.a. Peter the Great in China-town.

Source: "Vremya novostey", 22.02.2008

According to press reports, the actions by Serdyukov on selling military lands were clearly endorsed by the top leaders of the country. For example, Dmitry Medvedev under his campaign announced a few abstract ideas formed by the team of Serdyukov. Among those were - the need to create a fund for the land owned by the Ministry of Defense which is not used for its original purpose, as well - the privatization of excess military property in the cities of Russia.

Source: newsru.com from 27 February 2008

The press noted that the lack of money the Defense Ministry did not prevent him from making expensive purchases and investing in questionable projects.

As written in the press, in December 2008, Serdyukov, together with the head of bank VTB Andrey Kostin and governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko signed a memorandum on the establishment of a joint military training and research center the Naval Academy in Kronstadt. «The project was proposed by the company "VTB-Development" led by the son of Matvienko - Sergey, and is estimated at over 100 billion rubles.

Source: "Kommersant» № 233 / P (4050) on 22.12.2008

According to Internet resource Ruspress, Alexander Malyshev and Gennady Petrov controlled "Spanish channel" of illegal supply of Russian arms to Iran. Petrov’s discussion with Defense Minister Serdyukov was intercepted by the Americans. Then there were reports in the Spanish press that Petrov’s group was engaged in illegal arms trade and had contacts with senior officials of Russia. After that, reportedly, an attempt was made to revive arms sales to Iran via Algeria. But the cargo ship «Arctic Sea» was intercepted on its way from Kaliningrad (Russia) to Bejaia (Algeria). According to the press, Operation of search and return of «Arctic Sea» was commanded by the Defense Minister Serdyukov personally. On August 19, 2009 Estonian admiral, an expert on the EU in anti-piracy Tarmo Kyuts declared publicly that "Arctic Sea" had been carrying an illegal cargo of weapons for Iran.

Source: rospres.com 11.11.2009