Colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dmitry Zakharchenko, arrested on charges of accepting multimillion-dollar bribes, was a member of an influential group that monopolized contracts for Russian Railways and also specialized in illegal banking services. Novaya Gazeta writes about this.
Law enforcement agencies associate the activities of this group with thefts worth tens of billions of rubles, attempted murders and other crimes, the article says. The publication refers to a laptop with confidential data on the group’s financial transactions, which journalists were able to study. In particular, the laptop contained payments worth $250 million to offshore companies, which, according to Zakharchenko’s acquaintances, may be associated with him.
As you know, in the apartment of Zakharchenko’s sister, operatives found cash worth 8 billion rubles. According to the Rosbalt agency, about 300 million euros were found in the offshore accounts of the colonel’s relatives. Zakharchenko himself, as FSB officers told Novaya Gazeta, when asked where the money came from, answered: “The bankers gave it for safekeeping.”
The name of Zakharchenko is associated with a high-profile case of the theft of 26 billion rubles from Nota Bank. The main depositors of the bank were enterprises of the military-industrial complex. Zakharchenko for some time headed the department at the GUEBiPK, which oversaw the defense industry. However, according to Novaya Gazeta, the scope of the colonel’s activities was much broader.
At the same time, Zakharchenko’s lawyer Yuri Novikov, in an interview with the radio station “Moscow Speaks,” called the connection of the colonel’s case with thefts at Russian Railways unlikely. “I am sure that this cannot happen in principle,” the defender said. The lawyer “knows nothing” about the laptop that Novaya Gazeta writes about.
Meanwhile, Novaya Gazeta indicates that Zakharchenko was well acquainted with the late adviser to the ex-head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, Andrei Krapivin. Together with his partners, he controlled a number of companies that won multibillion-dollar construction tenders of state-owned companies. Zakharchenko received 150 thousand euros every month for resolving problems with law enforcement agencies, the article says.
According to data from the laptop, most of the money that was transferred to Russian Railways contractors went into the accounts of fictitious companies, after which it was cashed out or transferred to offshore companies. Among them are companies that may have been associated with Zakharchenko. More than $250 million was transferred to their details.
Zakharchenko’s connection with Krapivin was confirmed to Novaya Gazeta by banker German Gorbuntsov. According to him, the Interior Ministry officer was a full partner of the people who received contracts from Russian Railways. According to Gorbuntsov’s calculations, tens of billions of rubles were stolen annually from Russian Railways contracts.
“As far as I know, he communicated most closely with Valery Markelov, who was responsible for interaction with law enforcement agencies,” Gorbuntsov said. According to Reuters, Krapivin, Markelov and a third partner, Boris Usherovich, were behind a huge empire of several dozen companies. These companies won most of the construction tenders from Russian Railways, and were serviced by banks previously owned by Gorbuntsov.
At some point, a conflict arose between the former partners, and Gorbuntsov was forced to leave for London, where an attempt was made on his life in March 2012.
Gorbuntsov took with him a database that contained financial transactions of all companies serviced by his banks, including those that received contracts from Russian Railways. This database is at the disposal of Novaya Gazeta. Judging by the database, most of the money that was transferred to contractors from Russian Railways went to fictitious companies registered under dummies, and then was cashed out or transferred to offshore companies.
According to Novaya Gazeta's sources in the FSB, Zakharchenko could be connected with the companies Bachelor Group Inc from Panama (serviced in the Swiss branch of Dresdner Bank) and Ancillmar Ltd from Cyprus (with an account in the Cyprus branch of Trasta komercbanka).
According to Gorbuntsov’s database, $244 million and almost 5 million euros were transferred at different times from the accounts of various companies from Incredbank to the account of Ancillmar Ltd in Trasta komercbanka. As Novaya Gazeta notes, this does not mean that all the funds went to the colonel, but it can be assumed that impressive sums fell to him.
Law enforcement agencies have identified the source of origin $120 million and 2 million euros, seized from the colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko. This money was first kept by firms and banks associated with Russian Railways, and then ended up on deposits with individuals controlled by Zakharchenko. Investigators suspect that this amount was being prepared to be sent to Switzerland, where the colonel’s father has accounts and hundreds of millions of euros passed through them.As a law enforcement source told Rosbalt, their packaging helped track the fate of the money. Zakharchenko kept the funds in cellophane briquettes of $200 thousand, packaged by the US Federal Reserve, with codes and seals. A request was sent to the States through the Central Bank, and from the response it became known that these funds were “ordered” by two Russian banks. According to the source, they are considered to be connected with a group of businessmen who control companies that for many years “sat” on contracts for Russian Railways and its “subsidiaries”, receiving billions of rubles. A significant part of the funds was later cashed out, and some ended up with Zakharchenko.
Detectives suspect that this was the “share” of Zakharchenko and a number of his junior colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for patronizing these companies. Then the colonel’s money returned to the banks, only in parts and in the form of deposits registered in the name of private individuals. The investors were people controlled by Zakharchenko.
According to operatives, in the summer of 2016, the colonel felt that the companies from which he received money were in trouble, and representatives of the FSB themselves became interested in him. As the agency’s source said, Zakharchenko decided to withdraw all funds from deposits, then transfer them to Switzerland using one cash-and-envelope financial channel.
For these purposes, the colonel’s father, Viktor Zakharchenko, flew there and opened several accounts in this country. This was confirmed by the response to an official inquiry from the investigation. Moreover, the Swiss reported that Viktor Zakharchenko had previously opened other accounts - both for himself personally and for several companies, but with the right to personally manage the accounts. Through these accounts a total of passed more than 300 million euros.
However, the plan conceived by the colonel could not be quickly implemented; Zakharchenko felt that he was being closely monitored. After this, the gigantic amount kept in the apartment registered to his half-sister was urgently decided to be “scattered” among different banks as deposits registered in the name of private individuals. When persons controlled by the colonel began to transfer funds to banks in “lots” of $15-20 million, Zakharchenko was detained.
Investigators have information that "protection" of companies that were "sitting" on Russian Railways money, in addition to Zakharchenko, another group of representatives of the law enforcement bloc took part. It is now being clarified whether the confiscated share was exclusively Zakharchenko’s share, or was the “common fund” of a number of security officials.
As for the owners of the two banks where the funds “received” for Zakharchenko, and the companies that worked with Russian Railways’ money, most of them, according to the agency’s source, are now abroad.
Rosbalt has already talked in detail about the fate of 14.695 million euros from Zakharchenko’s fortune. Back in the summer of 2016, the colonel (he was at large at the time) transferred this amount to one of his close friends in cash, a law enforcement source told Rosbalt. As it turned out during the investigation, on August 2 and 4, the girl placed this amount in two tranches on her personal account in one of the capital’s banks, and then immediately converted it into dollars. The colonel’s acquaintance transferred the resulting $16.404 million to a deposit in the same bank.
On September 9, 2016, Zakharchenko was detained by FSB officers. And on September 12, the girl closed the deposit and took the entire amount in cash. On September 12, the girl transferred the money to her close friend Anastasia Gorshkova, who, having opened two accounts in her name in the capital’s bank, placed $1.154 million and $15 million in them. It is noteworthy that both girls are officially listed as unemployed.
Having learned about these financial transactions, operatives informed investigators about them. Fearing that the money could be withdrawn from the bank at any time, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Moscow decided to impose a
Law enforcement officers established how eight billion rubles in cash ended up in the apartment of the half-sister of former Interior Ministry colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko. Rosbalt reports this with reference to a source in law enforcement agencies.
According to him, the packaging of money helped establish this. They were stored in cellophane briquettes worth 200 thousand dollars each. They were packaged by the US Federal Reserve - they were marked with codes and seals. Russian law enforcement officers, through the Central Bank, sent a request to the American regulator about the origin of the money and received a response that it was “ordered” by two Russian banks.
The source believes that the banks were connected with a group of businessmen who controlled companies that were contracted by Russian Railways. A significant part of the money that the banks “ordered” was cashed, and part of it ended up with Zakharchenko.
The investigation, according to a Rosbalt source, suggests that this was a reward for Zakharchenko and his colleagues in the Ministry of Internal Affairs for patronizing these companies. After the money reached Zakharchenko, it was again sent in parts to banks.
In the summer of 2016, Zakharchenko felt that law enforcement agencies, and the FSB, became interested in the companies that he covered and that paid him for it. According to a Rosbalt source, Zakharchenko decided to withdraw this money from banks and transfer it to Switzerland using a “cash-and-envelope channel”. For this purpose, Zakharchenko’s father went there, who was accused of particularly large embezzlement. To transfer money to Switzerland, Zakharchenko placed it in an apartment registered to his half-sister. But it was not possible to implement this plan quickly - Zakharchenko found out that he was under FSB surveillance.
Then he decided to urgently “scatter” this amount into deposit accounts in different banks. People controlled by Zakharchenko brought money in batches of 15-20 million dollars. At this moment, Zakharchenko was detained.
According to a Rosbalt source, the investigation has information that Russian Railways contractors were protected not only by Zakharchenko, but also by other representatives of law enforcement agencies. Now information is being verified as to whether this amount was intended for one Zakharchenko or whether it was a “common fund” for several people.
Before his arrest, Zakharchenko was deputy head of the “T” department in the Main Directorate of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was arrested by the court in September last year. He was accused of abuse of power and receiving a bribe of seven million rubles. Zakharchenko does not admit his guilt.
During searches in the apartment, his relatives discovered a large amount of money in cash - 120 million dollars and two million euros, for a total of 8.5 billion rubles.
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© Photo courtesy of the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Moscow Region
Valery Markelov, a member of the board of directors of Roszheldorproekt JSC, co-owner of Group of Companies 1520 (once the largest contractor of Russian Railways), was detained by the FSB. He is suspected of mediation in the transfer of a bribe of 2 billion rubles to the GUEBiPK employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Dmitry Zakharchenko. In reality this amount is much higher. Investigators believe that most of the funds seized from Zakharchenko’s secret apartment (more than 9 billion rubles) came to him from Markelov and persons associated with him.
As a source in the special services told Rosbalt, events in recent months have developed quite rapidly. In August 2018, a pre-trial agreement was concluded by banker Vladimir Antonov, who is accused of embezzling funds from Sovetsky Bank. As part of the plea deal, he not only admitted guilt in withdrawing funds from a credit institution, but also reported other facts of criminal activity known to him. In particular, Antonov said that he worked closely with Valery Markelov, through banks controlled by the financier, billions of dollars in amounts received from Russian Railways were “laundered” and “cash out”. On the law enforcement side, these scams were covered up by GUEBiPK employee Dmitry Zakharchenko, who was friendly with Markelov, and a number of other representatives of the security bloc. Dmitry Zakharchenko did not deny this time and, according to the agency’s source, gave “partial” testimony about his relationship with Markelov. After checking this data and comparing it with information received earlier, the RF IC and the FSB decided to detain Markelov.
At that moment, the latter was in Sochi at a car race. In addition to the Formula 1 race, the seaside town also hosted Formula 2 races, in which the businessman’s son Artem took part. Markelov was detained and transferred to Moscow. On October 2, the Basmanny Court received a petition from the Investigative Committee to select a preventive measure for Merkelov in the form of detention. At the same time, the investigation asked the servants of Themis to arrest lawyer Viktor Belevtsov. This is a close friend of Zakharchenko, who was also his assistant.
The agency's interlocutor said that the matter will not be limited to these two arrests. “In the near future, another group of people associated with Zakharchenko and involved in transferring large sums to him will be taken into custody,” noted a Rosbalt source.
Markelov himself is now charged with transferring a bribe (Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) to Zakharchenko in the amount of 2 billion rubles. Moreover, according to investigators, this bribe was from other people who are still officially listed as unidentified persons. “We are talking about one of the top leaders of Russian Railways at that time,” said the agency’s interlocutor. Markelov headed a group of companies that were the largest contractors of Russian Railways. Investigators believe that a significant part of the funds that the Zakharchenko family hid in a secret apartment came through Markelov.
Their packaging helped track the fate of the money seized during a search from a former GUEBiPK employee (more than $120 million). Zakharchenko kept the funds in cellophane briquettes, packaged by the US Federal Reserve, with codes and seals. A request was sent to the States through the Central Bank, and from the response it became known that these funds were ordered by two Russian banks, which transferred them to two more. According to the agency’s interlocutor, we are talking about the banks Baltika (license revoked in November 2015), Yenisei (license revoked in February 2017), Novoye Vremya and Interprogress.
“All these banks are connected with businessman Boris Usherovich, Valery Markelov’s closest partner, with whom they control dozens of companies that for many years received contracts from Russian Railways worth billions of rubles,” a Rosbalt source expressed his opinion. — In their empire, Zakharchenko was the head of the security service, providing cover through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. Banker Ivan Stankevich was responsible for working with finances and banking. Zakharchenko was a full partner in this business; Markelov, Usherovich and Stankevich at different times gave orders to controlled banks to issue large sums to Zakharchenko. This was the share of Zakharchenko himself and his relative, Russian FSB officer Dmitry Senin. Some of the funds were withdrawn abroad, others were made out in the form of deposits for dummies in Russian banks, and the rest was kept in cash by the GUEBiPK employee. This information was collected during operational work, and was also confirmed during interrogations of witnesses.”
According to the agency’s source, at one time a whole “ecosystem” of businessmen and bankers formed around Zakharchenko and Senin. “Dmitry preferred not one-time cash gifts, but a monthly “subscription fee,” and sometimes interest from the income of structures, as was the case with Russian Railways contractors. The “subscription fee” could be $800 thousand or several million dollars. And if we were talking about a share, then there are absolutely gigantic amounts, billions. However, the majority agreed. It was very convenient. All these businessmen and bankers themselves were involved in “shady” matters: cashing, smuggling, theft of budget funds. And the related tandem guaranteed complete cover through the two main law enforcement agencies - the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB: there is no need to run around looking for someone to bribe for every reason. It should be noted that they earned their money by constantly solving the problems of “clients,” said the agency’s source.
German Alexandrov
A public telegram “Nezygar” reported yesterday with reference to “Rosbalt” that the source of the money found in Colonel Zakharchenko’s apartment had been found. Officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB of the Russian Federation detained in Sochi Valery Markelov- head of a group of companies that are the largest Russian Railways contractors. He is suspected of giving bribes to a high-ranking employee of the GUEBiPK Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Dmitry Zakharchenko. Moreover, as operatives believe, most of the funds seized from Zakharchenko’s secret apartment came to him from Markelov. Son of a former advisor to Russian Railways Alexey Krapivin, Valery Markelov And Boris Usherovich are the owners group of companies "1520", which is engaged in the design and construction of railways. After Vladimir Yakunin left the post of head of Russian Railways, the state-owned company continued cooperation with 1520. The amount of state contracts of the 1520 group of companies is estimated at 218 billion rubles.
As a source in the special services told Rosbalt, Valery Markelov was detained during operational activities in Sochi, after which he was taken to Moscow. On October 2, the court must decide on the choice of a preventive measure for him. Press secretary of the Basmanny Court Yuno Tsareva confirmed to Rosbalt that the court had received relevant materials.
According to investigators, Zakharchenko served as a kind of head of the security service of a group of companies created by Markelov and other persons. For this he received a solid fixed “salary”, and subsequently a share of the profits of the group of companies. We are talking about billions of dollars, since Markelov’s structures are one of the largest contractors of Russian Railways.
Let us remember that in 2016, Zakharchenko was arrested on suspicion of taking a bribe. During searches in his office and apartment, relatives found 8.5 billion rubles, €2 million and more than $120 million in cash, which were seized and later turned into state revenue.
Businessman Valery Markelov is suspected of mediating a bribe of 2 billion rubles to Dmitry Zakharchenko, an employee of the GUEBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. In reality this amount is much higher.
As a source in the special services told Rosbalt, at the moment the case materials say that Markelov transferred 2 billion rubles to Zakharchenko. Moreover, this bribe was from other people who are still officially listed as unidentified.
“We are talking about one of the senior leaders of Russian Railways of those times,” the agency’s interlocutor expressed his opinion. Markelov headed a group of companies that were the largest contractors of Russian Railways. He was detained the day before in Sochi. The Basmanny Court is considering his arrest. Investigators believe that most of the funds found in Zakharchenko’s apartment were received from Markelov and persons associated with him.
Zakharchenko - decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Now it doesn't solve anything
In fact, in this story. Another thing is much more interesting - the amount that was found in the apartment in Zakharchenko is a kind of common fund of Krapivin himself, or is it just Zakharchenko’s share for providing the company with “many small services.” We are more inclined to the first option. In addition, there is reason to believe that the billions found also included the money of thieving Russian Railways officials, who helped the 1520 group of companies receive the most delicious contracts. Zakharchenko was found to have a kind of “bank” from which bribes were paid to many Russian Railways functionaries and other law enforcement officers. It can be assumed that officials from the Ministry of Transport also “participated” in the designated benefits.
In general, such a situation and the publication of information in the federal media, as well as the “announcement in telegram” through the “mouthpiece of the Presidential Administration” Nezygar, gives reason to assume that the top decided to deal with the 1520 group of companies completely. The redistribution of the contractor market is now observed in practically all large state corporations, and Russian Railways is no exception.
Our edition "Charter.no" I have already reported about the 1520 group of companies and the Krapivin family, which have joined Russian Railways. Moreover, we have already reported in the publication that Markelov is responsible for relations with law enforcement agencies in the 1520 Group of Companies.
It was not theft that destroyed Yakunin, but, as happens in Russia, the lack of desire to share with those with whom it was necessary. And also the fact that Yakunin’s son at the wrong moment decided to acquire British citizenship. Yakunin was dismissed and replaced by the more loyal Oleg Belozerov. However, the “secret holdings” mastering Russian Railways tenders remained the same.
Even if you spend billions of budget money, you cannot cheat death. After Andrei Krapivin died in 2015, his son Alexey took his place. However, the “accomplices” remained the same - Valery Markelov, responsible in the syndicate for relations with law enforcement agencies. A thread stretches from Markelov to the Moscow “dealer” - the arrested Colonel Zakharchenko. The notorious colonel is closely involved in the story of cutting up Russian Railways. According to banker German Gorbuntsov, people involved in theft and money laundering from Russian Railways paid Zakharchenko 150 thousand euros per month.
Gorbuntsov also believes that the money found on Zakharchenko could have belonged to Markelov, and could have been those same “billions from Russian Railways.”
Usherovich is next
It is no coincidence that after Zakharchenko was detained, Usherovich went on the run
Another participant in the scheme is “authoritative businessman” Boris Usherovich. Unlike Mareklov, he is responsible for connections with the underworld. Usherovich is considered a member of the Lipetsk organized crime group. The wife of banker German Gorbuntsov talks about this: “When meeting with me and my husband, Usherovich behaved quite correctly. At the same time, during communication, he did not hide and regularly spoke about his affiliation with the Lipetsk organized crime group.”
Accordingly, next comes the turn of Boris Usherovich, who seems to us even less politically correct than Valery Markelov, since he communicates directly with the criminal world and is a lobbyist for the company among criminals and organized crime. Most likely, Usherovich keeps, if not the same, then a similar amount in size, as Zakharchenko.
Group of companies 1520 is one of the largest Russian production and construction holdings, whose main competencies are concentrated in the field of design and construction of railways. The geography of activity is the entire space of the Russian railway track with a width of 1520 mm, from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean.
