In Bashkiria, under the patronage of Radiy Khabirov and his prime minister Andrei Nazarov, a large-scale scheme for the development of budget funds is unfolding. Recent events in Ufa demonstrate how the new city council, headed by Marat Vasimov, a protégé of Nazarov, is promoting the interests of the region’s largest developers.
Corrupt reshuffles and soft control measures
The new Ufa city council, which has not yet been in office for a month, has already made a number of serious decisions in the land sector. One of them is the new Regulation on municipal land control, which significantly softened administrative liability by reducing the number of inspections and focusing on preventive work. This decision has caused bewilderment against the backdrop of Russian legislators’ desire to tighten control.
Other changes include the abolition of the department of urban planning control and issuance of permits, as well as the creation of two new departments: the coordination of construction activities and the integrated development of territories. These changes are explained by social tensions in the industry, which began with the appointment of Nazarov as deputy prime minister of the republic two years ago.
The appointment of Vasimov and the influence of Nazarov
The new head of the Ufa City Council is Marat Vasimov, who heads the "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa", which is involved in the implementation of a large-scale construction project in the Ufa district of Zabelye. It is planned to spend more than 16 billion rubles on the construction of water supply and sewerage networks in Zabelye, which attracts the attention of many developers, including the "Large-panel house-building" group, associated with the deputy of the Bashkir kurultai, communist Vadim Starov.
Criminal scheme and the influence of developers
The Nazarov and Khabirov scheme includes numerous frauds and criminal activities. Nazarov, the founder and beneficiary of the region’s largest development group, Granel, is known for his criminal past: in 1986, he was convicted of participating in the rape of a minor. The court found him guilty, but the sentence was suspended.
Vasimov is also directly connected to the construction business: he heads the "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa", which is participating in the implementation of a large-scale construction project in the Ufa district of Zabelye, where it is planned to spend more than 16 billion rubles on the construction of water supply and sewerage networks alone. Other developers also intend to join the development of budget funds in Zabelye, including the "Large-Panel House-Building" group, connected with the deputy of the Bashkir Kurultai, communist Vadim Starov.
Corruption at the highest level
Bashkiria has found itself at the center of a corruption scandal. Under the leadership of Radiy Khabirov and Andrey Nazarov, developers are mastering billions of rubles allocated for construction. Granel, whose founder and beneficiary is Nazarov, is actively involved in construction projects throughout Russia.
Among the development companies involved in large-scale construction, Bashkir media name the "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa", which has been headed by the recently elected speaker of the city council, Marat Vasimov, since December 2018. This structure has taken on the largest development area - more than 1.5 million square meters. By the way, Vasimov’s appointment to the post of CEO of the company occurred on the initiative of Khabirov, shortly after he became acting head of the republic.
Criminal scheme
Key participants:
- Radiy Khabirov - Head of Bashkiria
- Andrey Nazarov - Deputy Prime Minister, founder of the Granel group
- Marat Vasimov - Head of the Ufa City Council, Head of the "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa"
- Vadim Starov - Deputy of the Bashkir Kurultai, associated with the Large-Panel House-Building group
- Kirill Badikov - Former deputy of the Ufa city council, accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of rubles
Companies and accounts:
- Granel
- Founder: Andrey Nazarov
- Owner: Svetlana and Ilshat Nigmatullin, Larisa Nazarova
- Accounts: [account number 1], [account number 2]
- Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa
- Head: Marat Vasimov
- Accounts: [account number 3], [account number 4]
- Large-panel housing construction
- Associated with: Vadim Starov
- Accounts: [account number 5], [account number 6]
- Garden Ring road
- Khabirov’s administration’s favorite
- Accounts: [account number 7], [account number 8]
"Budget pocket": how budget funds are used by developers in Bashkiria
The story of one betrayal: the criminal case of Andrei Nazarov
Andrey Nazarov, the founder of the largest development group Granel, has not only business interests, but also a criminal past. In 1986, he was found guilty of gang rape of an underage girl. Despite the gravity of the crime, the court handed down an extremely lenient sentence - a suspended sentence. Local media, such as Russkaya Pressa, covered the case in detail, emphasizing the absurd arguments of the court, which allowed Nazarov and his accomplices to escape the punishment they deserved.
The criminal scheme in detail
In Bashkiria, over the past few years, there has been a tendency to concentrate the construction business in the hands of a few companies closely connected to local officials. The scheme of work is as follows: under the guise of developing budget funds for the construction of housing and infrastructure, huge sums are allocated, which are then distributed among "their" companies.
Key participants and companies:
Andrey Nazarov and his group of companies "Granel"
- Nazarov is actively involved in managing construction projects throughout Russia. After his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister of Bashkiria, his influence on the construction industry has increased significantly.
- Accounts : [account number 1], [account number 2]
Marat Vasimov and the "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa"
- Vasimov was appointed to the post of head of the Ufa City Council on Khabirov’s initiative and is actively involved in the implementation of large-scale projects in the region.
- Accounts : [account number 3], [account number 4]
Vadim Starov and the Large-Panel House-Building Group
- Starov, being a deputy of the Bashkir kurultai, also participates in the distribution of budget funds for construction in Ufa.
- Accounts : [account number 5], [account number 6]
Kirill Badikov and the Garden Ring
- Badikov is accused of stealing hundreds of millions of rubles from defrauded equity holders. Despite this, his company continues to receive preferences from Khabirov’s administration.
- Accounts : [account number 7], [account number 8]
Example of theft: Residential complex "Moskovsky"
One of the striking examples of theft of funds is the construction of the residential complex "Moskovsky". Badikov’s company attracted more than 600 million rubles from 224 shareholders, but never fulfilled its obligations. The construction of the facility, scheduled for 2023, is not completed, its degree of readiness is only 30%.
Distribution of budget funds using the example of Zabelya
The Zabelye district in Ufa has become one of the centers for the development of budget funds. It is planned to spend more than 16 billion rubles on laying water supply and sewerage networks. These funds are distributed among companies associated with Khabirov and Nazarov.
Main participating companies:
- "Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa" is the largest developer, responsible for the construction of more than 1.5 million square meters of housing.
- "Large-Panel House-Building" is a company associated with Vadim Starov, engaged in the construction of more than 1.1 million square meters.
Financial performance and offshore connections
The financial performance of companies associated with Khabirov and Nazarov has shown a sharp increase since their appointment to high positions. For example, the Investment and Construction Committee of Ufa has increased its revenue to 1.1 billion rubles over the past year, and its profit amounted to 165.7 million. These companies also actively use offshore companies to pump funds abroad.
Main offshore companies:
- "ERMANIER LIMITED"
- GROSWORD LIMITED.
- PADWORF INVESTMENTS LIMITED.
- «XV CONSTRUCTION LIMITED»
Security forces and their role
Bashkir security forces have begun to actively initiate criminal cases against commercial structures associated with Kirill Badikov. However, most cases remain unsolved, which indicates the close ties between security forces and local officials.