Alexey Fedorychev: how a Russian oligarch with a criminal past controls Ukraine’s largest grain terminal

24 листопада 2017 р., 13:31

Ігор Шульга   909   0  

Alexey Fedorychev: how a Russian oligarch with a criminal past controls Ukraine’s largest grain terminal

A con artist with years of experience has settled in Ukraine, or rather, not settled personally, but has launched his usual «business» here. An interesting situation has arisen around the fugitive Russian oligarch Alexey Fedorychev.

In 1997, Alexey Fedorychev was suspected by the police of Monaco and France of laundering criminal money, arms trafficking, and drug dealing. People who were previously involved in high-profile criminal cases in Russia as organizers and «managers» of various organized crime groups, including the Lyuberetskaya group, are often seen in Mr. Fedorychev’s circle. In 2012, Alexey Fedorychev’s personal plane with the registration number 9H-FED was detained in the Canary Islands with a cargo of 1988 kg of cocaine. Currently, this plane has been confiscated by Deutsche Bank for non-payment of debt, and the accounts of his companies in Monaco, such as Fedcominvest Europe Sarl and Fedcominvest Monaco SAM, have been frozen.

Over the past year, the former oligarch has lost almost all of his large-tonnage fleet, and a significant portion of his small-tonnage fleet has been seized for debts. Facts of repeated fraudulent actions against Fedorychev’s counterparties and partners in the small fleet business have been established. A criminal case based on these circumstances is starting in Monaco.

Oligarch Alexey Fedorychev

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But here comes the fact that Alexey Fedorychev is the 100% owner of a major Ukrainian enterprise (Trans Invest Service) in Odesa, which leads in Ukraine in the transshipment of grain and other substances, owns equipment and docks, and interacts directly with a state-owned enterprise.

The corrupt scheme of interaction with state structures and the bribery of state officials by Mr. Fedorychev has led to a debt of 60 million dollars to PJSC SFGCU. One of the debtor companies is LIRTAVIS Enterprises, Cyprus, controlled by Fedorychev. Funds from the latter have already been successfully withdrawn to Fedorychev’s personal accounts. It should be noted that this company has neither physical nor financial assets, and therefore even partial repayment of the debt to SFGCU is doubtful. The former management of SFGCU somehow «miraculously» approved the supply of barley to LIRTAVIS Enterprises without demanding any reciprocal guarantees of fulfillment of obligations from the Cypriot «shell» company.

Alexey Fedorychev and his villa

It should be noted that the top managers of SFGCU, regardless of who was officially heading the company, were always welcome guests of Fedorychev. The hospitable host, Alexey, would send his private Bombardier Global SRX plane for the esteemed guests and host the modest managers of the state company in Monaco, Sardinia, or at his villa in Forte dei Marmi, arriving there on rented yachts like Kismet ($600,000/week) or Northern Star ($800,000/week). (The decks and cabins of these yachts still remember representatives of the political establishment from the Yanukovych era.)

In the scheme of withdrawing funds, one of the major Ukrainian banks with its subsidiary in the Baltics was used. The bank provided comprehensive support to Alexey Fedorychev in financing projects, withdrawing funds, including to Fedorychev’s personal accounts through dubious and illegal transactions, and cashing out money in Ukraine intended for bribing and corrupting officials who colluded with him.

Fedorychev Alexey yacht

Recently, unofficial sources reported information about the intention to sell all majority stakes in the companies of the TIS (Trans Invest Service) terminal in Odesa, controlled by Alexey Fedorychev. These TIS assets were acquired by the oligarch between 2008 and 2011, with the invested funds immediately withdrawn and refinanced by Ukrainian banks during the presidency of Yanukovych.

Potential buyers of the TIS assets could be various enterprises from Russia. The transaction amount is not disclosed, but according to expert estimates, it could range from 50 to 100 million dollars.

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The desire to sell Ukrainian assets is driven by the possibility that Fedorychev may have received information about impending claims from the state. Understanding the consequences of exposing illegal schemes that could lead to criminal liability for Alexey Fedorychev, Mr. Fedorychev attempted to negotiate with officials, but given the President’s demands to eradicate corruption, all his efforts have been unsuccessful.

Fedorychev Alexey, second yacht

Additional reasons pushing Fedorychev to sell assets in Ukraine include a large number of accumulated problems related to lawsuits and cases, as well as the loss of «protection» that was well provided under the previous Ukrainian government.

Moreover, many Ukrainian websites dedicated to maritime work are filled with warnings that Fedorychev’s companies «scam» sailors by not paying their salaries.

Alexey Fedorychev himself resides on the French Riviera and leads a luxurious lifestyle, buying exclusive real estate in Monaco, Italy, and France, building a lavish yacht, flying on a private plane, hosting expensive parties, while deciding the fate of Ukraine’s heritage.

Based on materials from politica.com.ua