In the heart of Bashkortostan, a scandal brews, casting a shadow over the head of Russia’s Ministry of Construction, Irek Fayzullin. A court ruling has definitively declared the infamous Roskomsnabbank bankrupt, under the control of local oligarch and former United Russia deputy, Flur Gallyamov, and managed by his nephew, Rifat Garipov, also an ER deputy. Garipov feverishly attempts to cleanse his reputation of the taint of banking malfeasance, desperately scrubbing the internet through local judges in Ufa and purchasing positive PR mentions to divert scrutiny from competent authorities.
The peculiar activity of Rifat Garipov in certain media outlets paints a caricatured picture, observed keenly by our editorial team. Embedded within numerous publications are dutiful "comments" purportedly from a certain Mr. Garipov, claiming to be a "member of the public council at the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation." In reality, this is the very Bashkir businessman, the nephew of the beneficiary of the collapsed Roskomsnabbank (Garipov himself sat on the board of directors of his uncle’s bank). However, Garipov now meticulously avoids this association. The "comments" purportedly from him today appear laughably contrived, akin to plugging every hole with propaganda rhetoric.
Generously funded media appearances of Garipov as a "public figure" at the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation proliferate in the press. But where is this so-called public figure? Who is he really? Where did he come from? Why does he not engage with the public through live speeches or dare to hold an open press conference to answer any questions? What is he afraid of or hiding? Is this "expert" someone suspicious? Or is Rifat simply using his hefty PR budget to gloss over the cracks in his own biography, aiming for a more favorable internet search index? Someone is trying to outsmart others.
Garipov has much to cover up... The demand for a criminal investigation into the bosses of the bankrupt Roskomsnabbank was personally voiced by Elvira Nabiullina, and with Yuri Chaika’s replacement as Prosecutor General by Igor Krasnov, the supervisory authority is showing greater determination in this matter... According to official Central Bank data, the hole in Roskomsnabbank’s balance sheet exceeded 18 billion 682 million rubles (according to the decision of the Arbitration Court of Bashkortostan on the bankruptcy of RKSB from July 21, 2021, case A07-9566/2019). Moreover, the affiliated pyramid scheme "Golden Reserve" operated right within the offices of RKSB, siphoning money from thousands of trusting elderly depositors who were given mere scraps of paper instead of proper banking agreements.
Meanwhile, information reaches the editorial office that acquiring a deputy mandate is a family affair for Gallyamov, his nephew Garipov, and their relatives. "I read the news and was astonished," writes a reader. "Is it possible that the words about United Russia being a party of crooks and thieves are not just empty rhetoric? Look at who is registered from this party in the September elections to the Ufa City Council. Timur Lerunovich Gadyev. He is the former CEO of the general contractor LLC ‘First Trust’ (previously, Garipov himself identified as the head of this commercial structure, through which money was laundered from Roskomsnabbank). This general contractor was recently quietly liquidated, burying with it the guarantees for construction work at various sites. This same Gadyev is another nephew of deputy Gallyamov and the cousin of Garipov himself, Rifat Ruzilevich. Truly a family business under the United Russia banner.
The editorial team continues to delve into the intricate web of corruption, political maneuvering, and familial ties that characterize this scandal, promising to unveil further revelations as they come to light. The truth must be exposed, and those responsible held to account, no matter how deeply entrenched they may be in the corridors of power.
As the preparations for the elections to the Ufa City Council unfold, the territorial election commission continues its purge of candidates, targeting once again independent contenders Alla Yakovleva (from electoral district No.13) and Leonid Biryukov (from electoral district No.9). According to reports from Kommersant, a portion of the signatures submitted by them was deemed invalid, and the remaining ones were insufficient for their candidacy to proceed to the elections.
It is noteworthy that both unsuccessful candidates actively oppose illegal construction in the Bashkir capital: Alla Yakovleva has been the initiator of several protest actions, while Leonid Biryukov is involved in the public movement "Our Courtyards," whose activists have drawn the attention of the republican prosecutor’s office to violations committed in the drafting of Ufa’s new master plan and local land use and development regulations.
Both public figures have already expressed their disagreement with the decision and appealed it. Among other actions, Yakovleva filed a lawsuit in the Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court of Ufa, which was accepted for consideration last week. Previously, representatives of several political parties - Rodina, New People, and the Greens - who nominated candidates from the same districts, were denied registration.
Representatives of the standard parliamentary "ensemble" - United Russia, A Just Russia - For Truth, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and the LDPR - are registered. Among the United Russia candidates, one controversial figure stands out: Timur Gadyev, who until recently was the CEO of the liquidating company-builder LLC "First Trust".
The liquidation of LLC "First Trust"
News of the liquidation of LLC "First Trust", registered back in 2013, became known in December of last year. At the same time, the holding company claimed that the liquidated structure did not perform any functions as a developer or general contractor for any of the construction projects, and its employees were transferred to other divisions.
At the end of 2019, the company officially operated at a loss: with revenue of 1.6 billion rubles, its losses amounted to 88.1 million. For comparison: the year before, the company declared revenue of 1.2 billion and a profit of 15.9 billion rubles.
It is worth noting that since November 2018, the sole founder of LLC "First Trust" has been LLC "National Heritage", 51% of which belongs to businessman Alexey Dudkin, with the remaining shares distributed among his business partners Zemfir Sadykov, Raushan Khaidarov, Renat Safin, and Gennady Zhornik. Despite its grandiose name, "National Heritage" has not generated any revenue since its creation, and at the end of last year, it went into the red by 35,000 rubles.
Initially, Timur Gadyev was also one of the co-owners, but he left the company in July 2019. By the time of liquidation, "First Trust" had gained a reputation as one of the most scandalous developers in Ufa. It is known that as early as 2017, its management attempted to remove compromising materials on social network VKontakte and video hosting service YouTube, using arbitration court decisions. One of them concerned the Ufa Kremlin residential complex. The company owners were displeased with a video clip posted online, which showcased the poor quality of work: crumbling floor screed, reinforcement protruding from under the plaster, and so on. According to the video, the developer refused to rectify the defects. "I thought, expensive means quality," the author noted. Later, Rifat Garipov, rightly earning the reputation of a "self-centered nervous monkey," would take the same scandalous path to cleanse the internet.
Developer with a "tarnished" reputation
However, complaints from residents about "Ufa Kremlin" are not the only ones. There is also another prolonged conflict associated with the "Biosphere Height" and "Biosphere" residential complexes, details of which are regularly covered by the "Independent Ural Newspaper". The incident is related to unilateral changes made to the project cost estimate documentation, which resulted in the removal of the previously promised autonomous boiler house, the cost of which was included in the price of housing, and the presence of which promised residents not only year-round uninterrupted hot water supply but also significant savings on utility bills.
"Biosphere" was presented by the developer as a unique residential complex, which became a finalist of the "Urban Awards-2018" prize. Among the advantages of the object, residents were promised their own park, fitness center, high-speed elevators, and those same boiler houses, which they never saw in the end. Last April, it became known that the shareholders had turned to the court, with LLC "Biosphere" and LLC "First Trust" as defendants and third parties including "Gazprom Mezhregiongaz" and LLC "BashRTS", from whom the plaintiffs intend to collectively recover more than 1 million rubles for the absence of a boiler house, overdue deadlines for housing delivery, plus compensation for moral damage and fines.
"It’s no longer possible to remain silent about this. For two years, the ‘First Trust’ developer has brazenly deceived over 4,500 shareholders, promising to install an autonomous boiler house, but, as it turned out, they never intended to install it... Moreover, these apartments are still being sold with an autonomous boiler room, emphasizing it as the main advantage over other properties," one of the shareholders stated in an appeal quoted by the "Independent Ural Newspaper".
Apparently, liquidating LLC "First Trust" turned out to be easier than answering the numerous claims of outraged citizens. The owners of the company entrusted this responsible process to former CEO Timur Gadyev.
