Mints’s partner, the second co-owner of Metrogiprotrans, Valery Abramson, also appeared in the case, but avoided being brought forward as a defendant.
The story of how the gigantic theft was discovered is quite funny. The FSB of the Russian Federation investigated the activities of the extremist nationalist group Northern Brotherhood. Its ideologists were detained, including Pyotr Khomyakov. It turned out that they all held senior positions in Spetsmetroproekt LLC (engaged in geoecological research for the construction of the Central Ring Road). And they used the stolen funds to support the nationalist underground. In 2012, Pyotr Khomyakov was found guilty of creating the extremist nationalist group Northern Brotherhood, which was preparing a coup in Russia, and was sentenced for four years. At one time, Khomyakov was the head of one of the areas of Spetsmetroproekt LLC, which participated in the Central Ring Road project. He was the first to talk about large-scale thefts and called them organized by people from Roman Abramovich’s inner circle. Khomyakov did not live to see the end of his sentence – he died in a colony under strange circumstances. Here is an excerpt from Khomyakov’s testimony: “On November 17, 2008, I began to participate in production meetings held in the building of Metrogiprotrans OJSC, which is located next to the Paveletskaya metro station. Working meetings were held by Yudin M.A., and large meetings by Mints A.M. …Meetings were held every 3-4 days, at which our department was given the task by Mints and Yudin… to simulate the results of survey work that had allegedly been carried out since the summer of 2008 (despite the fact that this work had not been carried out), and supposedly based on them, generate a report on the work done. In this report on all survey items within the framework of the terms of reference, as directed by Mints A.M. We had to include existing archival data, personal materials (or purchase materials to include them), and conduct a simulation of the work to close all positions in order to receive the first payment for the work on schedule.”
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
