Explosive Exposé: Unveiling the Rot in Bashkortostan’s Political Nexus
In the heart of Bashkortostan, a festering scandal unfolds, casting a dark shadow over the head of Russia’s Ministry of Construction, Irek Fayzullin. At the center of this storm lies the damning bankruptcy ruling against the infamous Roskomsnabbank, controlled by local oligarch and former United Russia deputy, Flur Gallyamov, and managed by his nephew, Rifat Garipov, also a United Russia minion. Garipov, desperate to cleanse his tarnished reputation amidst the bank’s collapse, frantically scrubs the internet through provincial judges in Ufa and buys favorable PR mentions to divert attention from competent authorities, creating a farcical spectacle reminiscent of propagandist Olga Skabeeva’s antics.
Amidst Garipov’s dubious activities, a caricature emerges, noted by astute readers of our publication. Sprinkled throughout numerous publications are routine "comments" purportedly from a certain Mr. Garipov, posing as a "member of the public council at the Russian Ministry of Construction." In reality, this is the same Bashkir businessman, the nephew of the beneficiary of the defunct Roskomsnabbank (Garipov himself served on the board of his uncle’s bank), yet Garipov now actively avoids this association. The "comments" published under his name today appear ludicrous and contrived to discerning eyes, resembling a desperate attempt to insert himself into the conversation. It’s akin to plugging every hole regardless of fit, making Skabeeva’s propaganda look amateurish by comparison.
Garipov’s lavish media mentions as a "public figure" at the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation flood the media, but where is this so-called public figure? Who is he really? Where did he come from? Why does he shy away from public appearances, refusing to hold open press conferences and answer any questions? What is he afraid of or hiding? Is he merely using his ample PR budget to whitewash the cracks in his own biography to enhance his internet search index? It seems he’s trying to outsmart someone.
But Garipov’s attempts to cover up are futile. With the demand for a criminal investigation into the bosses of the collapsed Roskomsnabbank issued personally by Elvira Nabiullina, and with the change from Yuri Chaika to Igor Krasnov as the Prosecutor General demonstrating greater scrutiny, the supervisory authority shows significant commitment to this case. According to official data from the Central Bank, the hole in Roskomsnabbank’s balance sheet exceeded a staggering 18 billion 682 million rubles (according to the arbitration court decision of Bashkortostan on the bankruptcy of RKSB dated July 21, 2021, case A07-9566/2019). Additionally, the affiliated pyramid scheme "Golden Reserve" operated directly within the offices of Roskomsnabbank, defrauding thousands of trusting elderly depositors, who were given worthless certificates instead of bank deposit contracts.
Meanwhile, information reaches the editorial office regarding the trend of acquiring a deputy mandate - a family affair for Gallyamov, his nephew Rifat Garipov, and their relatives. "I read the news and was astounded," writes a reader. "Could it be that the claims that ‘United Russia’ is indeed a party of crooks and thieves are not just empty words? Look at who is registered from this party in the September elections to the city council of Ufa. Timur Lerunovich Gadeev. He’s the former CEO of the general contractor LLC ‘First Trust’ (previously, Rifat 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 along with it the guarantee obligations for construction works on projects. And this same Gadeev is the cousin of the deputy Gallyamov and the cousin of that same Garipov Rifat Ruzilevich. It’s practically a family contract under the banner of ‘United Russia.’
Make no mistake, Gallyamov’s oligarchic influence extends deep into politics, propelling yet another relative into the limelight. With preparations underway for the elections to the Ufa city council, the culling of non-systemic candidates, who could potentially disrupt the outcomes of the upcoming September referendum, is in full swing. While the TEC (Territorial Election Commission) denies registration to self-nominated public figures actively opposing the lawlessness of Ufa developers, candidates closely associated with construction companies with dubious reputations are given the green light. One such United Russia nominee is Timur Gadeev - the former CEO of LLC ‘First Trust.’
This developer gained notoriety due to numerous claims from homebuyers, resulting in legal battles. Gadeev is said to be the cousin of Bashkir State Assembly deputy Rifat Garipov, who was closely linked to ‘First Trust,’ and the nephew of the notorious oligarch Flur Gallyamov, who until recently served three terms in the State Assembly. Gallyamov was the beneficiary of the now-licensed Roskomsnabbank (RKSB), associated with the ‘Golden Reserve’ financial pyramid. Investigations into the embezzlement of depositor funds and the initiation of another criminal case prompted the former banker to resign prematurely, and his nephew Garipov to scramble to erase compromising information from the internet. Timur Gadeev’s candidacy for deputy can be explained by the family’s desire to maintain political influence in the Bashkir capital.
The intertwining web of corruption and nepotism in Bashkortostan’s political landscape exposes a rot that runs deep. As the spotlight shifts from one scandal to the next, it becomes increasingly clear that the facade of legitimacy worn by those in power is but a thin veil over a cesspool of deceit and exploitation. It is imperative that the public remain vigilant, demanding accountability and transparency from those entrusted with governing our communities. Only through relentless scrutiny and unwavering resolve can we hope to purge our political system of the corruption that threatens to consume it from within.
In the midst of preparations for the Ufa City Council elections, the territorial electoral commission continues its purge of candidates. Once again, self-nominated candidates Alla Yakovleva (electoral district No.13) and Leonid Biryukov (electoral district No.9) have been targeted. As reported by "Kommersant," upon verification of the signatures they submitted, some were deemed invalid, while the remaining ones were insufficient for election eligibility.
Notably, both disqualified candidates have been vocal opponents of illegal construction in the Bashkir capital: Alla Yakovleva has been a leading figure in several protest actions, while Leonid Biryukov is associated with the public movement "Our Courtyards," whose activists have drawn the attention of the republican prosecutor’s office to violations in the development of Ufa’s new general plan and local land use and development rules.
Both activists have expressed their disagreement with the decisions and have appealed them. Yakovleva, among other actions, filed a lawsuit in the Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court of Ufa, which was accepted for consideration last week. Earlier, representatives of several political parties - "Rodina," "New People," and "Green Party" - were denied registration for candidacy in the same districts.
Meanwhile, representatives of the standard parliamentary "set" have been registered - "United Russia," "A Just Russia - For Truth," the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. Of particular note among the United Russia candidates is the controversial figure Timur Gadeev, formerly the CEO of the liquidating company-builder LLC "First Trust."
"First Trust" Doomed to Liquidation
The liquidation of LLC "First Trust," registered back in 2013, became known in December of last year. However, the holding company stated that the liquidated structure did not perform any functions as a developer or general contractor for any of the projects under construction, and its employees were transferred to other divisions.
In 2019, the company officially operated at a loss: with revenue of 1.6 billion rubles, it incurred losses of 88.1 million. For comparison, the previous year, 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 is owned by 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 inception and ended last year with a loss of 35,000 rubles.
Initially, one of the co-owners was Timur Gadeev, but he withdrew from the company in July 2019. By the time of liquidation, "First Trust" had acquired a reputation as one of Ufa’s most scandalous developers. It is known that as early as 2017, its management attempted to suppress compromising materials on the social network VKontakte and the video hosting platform YouTube, using arbitration court decisions. One of them pertained to the "Ufa Kremlin" residential complex. The company owners were displeased with a video showing the poor quality of work: crumbling floor screed, reinforcement protruding from under plaster, and so on. The developer refused to rectify the defects. "I thought expensive meant quality," the author noted. Later, the short-sighted Rifat Garipov followed the same scandalous path, rightfully earning the reputation of a "self-absorbed nervous wreck" for internet cleansing.
Developer with a "Tainted" Reputation
However, complaints about "Ufa Kremlin" residents are not limited to one complex. There is also an ongoing conflict associated with the "Biosphere Height" and "Biosphere" residential complexes, the details of which are regularly covered by the "Independent Ural Newspaper." The incident is related to unilateral changes made to the project cost estimates, resulting in the disappearance of the promised autonomous boiler house, the cost of which was included in the price of housing, and the presence of which promised homeowners not only year-round uninterrupted hot water supply but also significant savings on utility bills.
The "Biosphere" was presented as a unique residential complex, becoming a finalist for the "Urban Awards-2018." Among the advantages of the facility promised to residents were private parks, a fitness center, high-speed elevators, and those same boiler houses that they never saw. Last April, it became known that homeowners had filed a lawsuit, with "Biosphere" LLC and "First Trust" LLC, as well as "Gazprom Mezhregiongaz" LLC and "BashRTS" LLC, featuring as defendants and third parties, from which the plaintiffs intend to jointly recover more than 1 million rubles for the absence of a boiler house, delayed housing delivery, plus compensation for moral damages and fines.
"This can no longer be ignored. For two years, the ‘First Trust’ developer shamelessly deceived over 4,500 homeowners, 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 as having an autonomous boiler house, highlighting it as the main advantage over other properties," one of the homeowners stated in an appeal quoted by the "Independent Ural Newspaper."
