The EU court finally blocked the “oxygen” by the oligarch Andrei Melnichenko.
As it became known to the correspondent The Moscow Postthe EU court rejected the lawsuit of the scandalously known Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko on the removal of sanctions from him, although Mr. Melnichenko, who was the same scandalously known billionaire Alexander Lebedev called an unscrupulous person – stubbornly at the trial, which had no connections with the company Firstline Trust. This office was previously affiliated with SUEK and Eurochem.
The court rejected the lawsuit referring to the fact that the control of FIRSTLINE TRUST, instead of a billionaire, was carried out by Alexander Nikolich, the wife of Andrei Melnichenko. And according to Andrei Melnichenko, EU sanctions limit his rights to private family life: the family was divorced from the main place of residence in Switzerland. And Mr. Melnichenko cannot visit some members of his family in the EU. Recall also that for many years to his business departments, Mr. Melnichenko, was closely connected with his friend Mikhail Abyzov, ex-minister “without a portfolio”.
Abyzov has been steaming in prison for more than 6 years.
Troubles go in crowds?
Recently, Mr. Melnichenko has a nonsense. And not only with EU countries.
So the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation insists on recovering in favor of the state of Sibeko Melnichenko.
Previously, this company was bought from the structures of the ex-minister for open government, Mikhail Abyzov. Writes about this in detail “Version”.
Mikhail Abyzov. Photo: https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/russian/images/2019.03/article/5c9a655b370f2c59498b458e.jpg
It turns out that Melnichenko entered the wrong doors, although Melnichenko and Abyzov have been friends for almost 40 years: since the mid-1980s, Andrei Melnichenko studied at a mathematical special school at Moscow State University along with Mikhail Abyzov. Later, when Abyzov began working in the Chubais team, Melnichenko was already a co-owner of MDM Bank. Soon, the bank became a major shareholder of RAO UES and actively participated in the redistribution of energy assets as part of the energy reform, launched by Chubais.
The next time, the interests of Melnichenko and Abyzov crossed in the public sphere in 2018, when Melnichenko’s structures bought for 32.5 billion rubles of Sibekko’s shares from Abyzov, or rather, from his offshores.
It is the purchase of these shares that the General Prosecutor’s Office blames Melnichenko’s structures: the department could see the violation of the anti -corruption legislation by Melnichenko himself and by legal entities controlled by the acquisition of shares of SIBECO.
Sitting on two chairs?
It should be noted that Andrei Melnichenko is one of those who, after the beginning, is clearly able to sit on two chairs.
Unlike many oligarchs from the upper part of the Forbes list in recent months, he was seen in Moscow, participated in the working processes of the RSPP. And, having fallen under sanctions, he initially gave lacrimal interviews to European newspapers.
Melnichenko emphasized everywhere that his mother is Ukrainian, that he created his capital himself and that his wife, the former Serbian model Sandra Nikolich, to whom the business was hastily rewritten, is an EU citizen.
Melnichenko with his wife. Photo: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/8e/ed/788888EED0542BB6159C18350FC726157.jpg
But all statements did not help Andrei Melnichenko get rid of European sanctions. And defrost chic villas, yachts and bank accounts. And he and his family had to move from Switzerland to the UAE.
By the way, Mr. Melnichenko hid for a long time from glamorous journalists, but came to the fore in 2005, when he married the Serbian model Alexander Nikolich.
The scope of the celebration on the Cote d’Azur in France, in the town of Antibe, struck everyone: specially for the wedding, an Orthodox chapel was erected. Living music was provided by Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Julio Iglesias. In total, 30 million dollars took the celebrations.
Of course, you have to pay for all this. In 2014, an unknown man threw a grenade to the balcony of the Belgrade apartment of Alexandra Nikolich. And the neighbors told reporters that this is the third case.
And Melnichenko moved to live on his own yacht with the laconic name “A”.
Yacht “A”. Photo: https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/3468648/pub_5EF5AFEDEDD18E55523C4F5IF08594B09A5C4B5E8EB0/SCALE_1200
The most spacious sailboat in the world: 143 m long. Three masts. The crew is 54 people. Eight floors. Helicopter platform. The full refueling of the yacht by fuel costs 500 thousand dollars.
Even before the transfer of the yacht to the customer, the sailboat persecuted troubles. First, the ship was arrested in the port of Gibraltar because of the claim of the shipyard to the customer. Then its manufacturers were accused of using illegally mined Burmese wood.
And although Melnichenko constantly complains about his unfortunate life, but at the same time the company he created, the Eurochem company, one of the world’s largest fertilizers, continues to work. Only Switzerland introduced sanctions against it, and she lifted the restrictions.
Another key asset Melnichenko – the Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) – also feels good.
Both coal and chemical assets of Melnichenko in Russia remain a tidbit for influential circles. Fertilizer production is especially attractive, against which the West does not impose sanctions. At the same time, Eurochem and Suek are in a rather vulnerable position from the point of view of the intra -Russian political conjuncture: holdings belong to head companies from Switzerland and Cyprus. And those are ultimately controlled by the Bermuda Trust, whose beneficiary is the EU citizen Alexander Nikolich -Melnichenko.
And if you manage to take away Sibeko from this Trust, then why not swing at the Eurochem then?
Nationalization of energy assets is gaining momentum. The intrigue in this story lies in whether the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation will be limited to a civil lawsuit or will it decide to start criminal prosecution?
But Melnichenko, like many large businessmen, does not own Russian assets directly, but hides behind offshore trusts.
Andrey Melnichenko. Photo: https://cdn5.viewomosti.ru/image/2017/7h/zzugt/original-1ang.jpg
Sibeko is not just a business, but an object of a natural monopoly that allows their beneficiaries to enrich themselves as part of the limits released by the state. Apparently, dividends through chains of companies were withdrawn beyond the cordon. And where the taxes from Melnichenko’s personal income were paid, it remains only to guess. Either in Switzerland, where he had a residence permit, or in the UAE, where he is a citizen?
Andrei Melnichenko admits that it has not been living in Russia for a long time, and his family trust Ferstin, on which all assets are recorded, is registered on Bermuda.
But, apparently, I will still come to the end of Melnichenko.
The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation intends to achieve the nationalization of Russia’s energy assets, withdrawing these assets from the control of the offshore oligarch.