Colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dmitry Zakharchenko, arrested on charges of accepting multimillion-dollar bribes, was a member of an influential group that monopolized contracts for Russian Railways and also specialized in illegal banking services. Novaya Gazeta writes about this.

Law enforcement agencies associate the activities of this group with thefts worth tens of billions of rubles, attempted murders and other crimes, the article says. The publication refers to a laptop with confidential data on the group’s financial transactions, which journalists were able to study. In particular, the laptop contained payments worth $250 million to offshore companies, which, according to Zakharchenko’s acquaintances, may be associated with him.

As you know, in the apartment of Zakharchenko’s sister, operatives found cash worth 8 billion rubles. According to the Rosbalt agency, about 300 million euros were found in the offshore accounts of the colonel’s relatives. Zakharchenko himself, as FSB officers told Novaya Gazeta, when asked where the money came from, answered: “The bankers gave it for safekeeping.”

The name of Zakharchenko is associated with a high-profile case of the theft of 26 billion rubles from Nota Bank. The main depositors of the bank were enterprises of the military-industrial complex. Zakharchenko for some time headed the department at the GUEBiPK, which oversaw the defense industry. However, according to Novaya Gazeta, the scope of the colonel’s activities was much broader.

At the same time, Zakharchenko’s lawyer Yuri Novikov, in an interview with the radio station “Moscow Speaks,” called the connection of the colonel’s case with thefts at Russian Railways unlikely. “I am sure that this cannot happen in principle,” the defender said. The lawyer “knows nothing” about the laptop that Novaya Gazeta writes about.

Meanwhile, Novaya Gazeta indicates that Zakharchenko was well acquainted with the late adviser to the ex-head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, Andrei Krapivin. Together with his partners, he controlled a number of companies that won multibillion-dollar construction tenders of state-owned companies. Zakharchenko received 150 thousand euros every month for resolving problems with law enforcement agencies, the article says.

According to data from the laptop, most of the money that was transferred to Russian Railways contractors went into the accounts of fictitious companies, after which it was cashed out or transferred to offshore companies. Among them are companies that may have been associated with Zakharchenko. More than $250 million was transferred to their details.

Zakharchenko’s connection with Krapivin was confirmed to Novaya Gazeta by banker German Gorbuntsov. According to him, the Interior Ministry officer was a full partner of the people who received contracts from Russian Railways. According to Gorbuntsov’s calculations, tens of billions of rubles were stolen annually from Russian Railways contracts.

“As far as I know, he communicated most closely with Valery Markelov, who was responsible for interaction with law enforcement agencies,” Gorbuntsov said. According to Reuters, Krapivin, Markelov and a third partner, Boris Usherovich, were behind a huge empire of several dozen companies. These companies won most of the construction tenders from Russian Railways, and were serviced by banks previously owned by Gorbuntsov.

At some point, a conflict arose between the former partners, and Gorbuntsov was forced to leave for London, where an attempt was made on his life in March 2012.

Gorbuntsov took with him a database that contained financial transactions of all companies serviced by his banks, including those that received contracts from Russian Railways. This database is at the disposal of Novaya Gazeta. Judging by the database, most of the money that was transferred to contractors from Russian Railways went to fictitious companies registered under dummies, and then was cashed out or transferred to offshore companies.

According to Novaya Gazeta's sources in the FSB, Zakharchenko could be connected with the companies Bachelor Group Inc from Panama (serviced in the Swiss branch of Dresdner Bank) and Ancillmar Ltd from Cyprus (with an account in the Cyprus branch of Trasta komercbanka).

According to Gorbuntsov’s database, $244 million and almost 5 million euros were transferred at different times from the accounts of various companies from Incredbank to the account of Ancillmar Ltd in Trasta komercbanka. As Novaya Gazeta notes, this does not mean that all the funds went to the colonel, but it can be assumed that impressive sums fell to him.

Law enforcement agencies have identified the source of origin $120 million and 2 million euros, seized from the colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko. This money was first kept by firms and banks associated with Russian Railways, and then ended up on deposits with individuals controlled by Zakharchenko. Investigators suspect that this amount was being prepared to be sent to Switzerland, where the colonel’s father has accounts and hundreds of millions of euros passed through them.

As a law enforcement source told Rosbalt, their packaging helped track the fate of the money. Zakharchenko kept the funds in cellophane briquettes of $200 thousand, packaged by the US Federal Reserve, with codes and seals. A request was sent to the States through the Central Bank, and from the response it became known that these funds were “ordered” by two Russian banks. According to the source, they are considered to be connected with a group of businessmen who control companies that for many years “sat” on contracts for Russian Railways and its “subsidiaries”, receiving billions of rubles. A significant part of the funds was later cashed out, and some ended up with Zakharchenko.

Detectives suspect that this was the “share” of Zakharchenko and a number of his junior colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for patronizing these companies. Then the colonel’s money returned to the banks, only in parts and in the form of deposits registered in the name of private individuals. The investors were people controlled by Zakharchenko.

According to operatives, in the summer of 2016, the colonel felt that the companies from which he received money were in trouble, and representatives of the FSB themselves became interested in him. As the agency’s source said, Zakharchenko decided to withdraw all funds from deposits, then transfer them to Switzerland using one cash-and-envelope financial channel.

For these purposes, the colonel’s father, Viktor Zakharchenko, flew there and opened several accounts in this country. This was confirmed by the response to an official inquiry from the investigation. Moreover, the Swiss reported that Viktor Zakharchenko had previously opened other accounts - both for himself personally and for several companies, but with the right to personally manage the accounts. Through these accounts a total of passed more than 300 million euros.

However, the plan conceived by the colonel could not be quickly implemented; Zakharchenko felt that he was being closely monitored. After this, the gigantic amount kept in the apartment registered to his half-sister was urgently decided to be “scattered” among different banks as deposits registered in the name of private individuals. When persons controlled by the colonel began to transfer funds to banks in “lots” of $15-20 million, Zakharchenko was detained.

Investigators have information that "protection" of companies that were "sitting" on Russian Railways money, in addition to Zakharchenko, another group of representatives of the law enforcement bloc took part. It is now being clarified whether the confiscated share was exclusively Zakharchenko’s share, or was the “common fund” of a number of security officials.

As for the owners of the two banks where the funds “received” for Zakharchenko, and the companies that worked with Russian Railways’ money, most of them, according to the agency’s source, are now abroad.

Rosbalt has already talked in detail about the fate of 14.695 million euros from Zakharchenko’s fortune. Back in the summer of 2016, the colonel (he was at large at the time) transferred this amount to one of his close friends in cash, a law enforcement source told Rosbalt. As it turned out during the investigation, on August 2 and 4, the girl placed this amount in two tranches on her personal account in one of the capital’s banks, and then immediately converted it into dollars. The colonel’s acquaintance transferred the resulting $16.404 million to a deposit in the same bank.

On September 9, 2016, Zakharchenko was detained by FSB officers. And on September 12, the girl closed the deposit and took the entire amount in cash. On September 12, the girl transferred the money to her close friend Anastasia Gorshkova, who, having opened two accounts in her name in the capital’s bank, placed $1.154 million and $15 million in them. It is noteworthy that both girls are officially listed as unemployed.

Having learned about these financial transactions, operatives informed investigators about them. Fearing that the money could be withdrawn from the bank at any time, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Moscow decided to impose a

The investigation appears to have established the main source of income for billionaire Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko. On Tuesday, during the selection of a preventive measure for Valery Markelov, co-owner of Group of Companies 1520 LLC, it turned out that a significant part of the money found on the officer could have been received from the largest contractor, Russian Railways OJSC (RZD). The investigation believes that in addition to the arrested Mr. Markelov, the group of bribe-payers included his partners Boris Usherovich, Ivan Stankevich and Dmitry Motorin, who now live abroad.

Valery Markelov was detained by FSB officers on October 1 at the Talisman Hotel in Sochi. The businessman flew there from abroad to watch the performance of Artem Markelov’s son, participating in Formula 2 racing. On the same day, Markelov Sr., who was accused of giving especially large bribes (Part 5 of Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), was transferred to Moscow. At the same time, former Rostov lawyer Viktor Belevtsev, whom the investigation considers Colonel Zakharchenko’s “confidant”, was also detained for mediation in giving bribes (Part 4 of Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

During the meeting of the Basmanny District Court, where a preventive measure was chosen for Valery Markelov, investigator of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) Roman Buravlev noted that he was hiding from law enforcement agencies, constantly changing his place of residence, and staying in hotels under a false name.

Justifying the need to take suspect Markelov into custody, investigator Buravlev added that the defendant transferred bribes to Colonel Zakharchenko from 2007 to 2016. The officer was detained on September 9, 2016 on charges of accepting a bribe of 7 million rubles. from another entrepreneur.

The total amount of money transferred to Dmitry Zakharchenko, according to the investigation, amounted to 2 billion rubles.

This amount was not named in court, but, according to Kommersant, only from 2009 to 2016, through lawyer Belevtsev, an Interior Ministry officer received more than 1 billion rubles. for resolving various issues, including allegedly for assistance in obtaining contracts from Russian Railways. In addition, another $150 thousand was paid to Dmitry Zakharchenko monthly as a kind of salary. The group of suspected bribers, according to the Investigative Committee, included another founder of the 1520 Group of Companies, as well as co-owner of Interprogressbank Boris Usherovich, his business partner Ivan Stankevich and former deputy chairman of the board of Incredbank Dmitry Motorin. All of them now live in Cyprus.

It also turned out in court that Valery Markelov’s guilt was confirmed by the testimony of the former owner of Incredbank and the ex-owner of the Spartak hockey club German Gorbuntsov, as well as the vice-president of this credit institution, the former general director of Spartak Pyotr Chuvilin. Note that the first has been living in London for a long time. There, in 2012, an attempt was made on his life, but the ex-banker miraculously survived. By the way, it was Mr. Gorbuntsov, according to Kommersant, who testified that the same $150 thousand was paid monthly from his bank account to Colonel Zakharchenko. In 2016, Pyotr Chuvilin was sentenced to four years for attempted fraud (Article 30 and Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). As the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow established, the accused and his two accomplices were going to settle the problem of the European Express Bank with the Central Bank for $5 million. This year, Pyotr Chuvilin was released on parole, having served almost a year and a half in a pre-trial detention center before the trial.

According to Kommersant, Dmitry Zakharchenko made acquaintance with Russian Railways contractors back in the mid-2000s in his native Rostov-on-Don, where he served in the tax authorities. In 2007, with the rank of captain, he transferred to Moscow and, according to the Investigative Committee, established close contacts with Boris Usherovich and his people. In his team, an officer who had good connections in addition to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB was responsible for resolving conflicts with law enforcement agencies.

Valery Markelov's lawyers proposed that the court limit their client to house arrest. They reported that their client, who lives in Zhukovka near Moscow, is ready to rent an apartment next to the ICR building in order to appear at the investigator’s first request. They also noted that the article for giving a bribe implies penalties, which Mr. Markelov, being a very wealthy person, is ready to compensate. At the same time, according to them, it is impossible to trust the testimony of witnesses, one of whom lives in London, and the second has just been released from prison. However, Valery Markelov, like lawyer Viktor Belevtsev, was detained by the court for two months.

Viktor Emelyanov, the defense attorney for Colonel Zakharchenko himself, whose case is now being heard in the Presnensky District Court, told Kommersant that no investigative actions were taken on the new episode with his client.

In the old materials, he noted, structures associated with Russian Railways did not appear at all. The case mentioned only his fellow countryman, lawyer Belevtsev, who provided him with legal services. According to Mr. Emelyanov, the story of bribes from Russian Railways contractors to an ordinary operational employee who, by and large, did not decide anything, looks at least ridiculous.

On the other hand, the investigation may have some evidence of Mr. Zakharchenko receiving bribes, since he was in active operational development for at least six months before his arrest. It is assumed that even then the FSB had information that the colonel was receiving large sums of money from structures associated with Russian Railways. However, at first they decided to give a go to the episodes that, as the Investigative Committee considered, were easier to prove. They talk about Colonel Zakharchenko receiving $800 thousand from restaurateur Medi Duss and from him - 3.5 million rubles. in the form of a discount card for the La Mare restaurant. In addition, the officer is accused of receiving 7 million rubles. from the former head and co-owner of the Rusengineering company Anatoly Pshegornitsky and about 800 thousand rubles. in the form of a vacation package from businessman Avsholum Yunaev.

Oleg Rubnikovich, Alexey Sokovnin

A public telegram “Nezygar” reported yesterday with reference to “Rosbalt” that the source of the money found in Colonel Zakharchenko’s apartment had been found. Officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB of the Russian Federation detained in Sochi Valery Markelov- head of a group of companies that are the largest Russian Railways contractors. He is suspected of giving bribes to a high-ranking employee of the GUEBiPK Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Dmitry Zakharchenko. Moreover, as operatives believe, most of the funds seized from Zakharchenko’s secret apartment came to him from Markelov. Son of a former advisor to Russian Railways Alexey Krapivin, Valery Markelov And Boris Usherovich are the owners group of companies "1520", which is engaged in the design and construction of railways. After Vladimir Yakunin left the post of head of Russian Railways, the state-owned company continued cooperation with 1520. The amount of state contracts of the 1520 group of companies is estimated at 218 billion rubles.

As a source in the special services told Rosbalt, Valery Markelov was detained during operational activities in Sochi, after which he was taken to Moscow. On October 2, the court must decide on the choice of a preventive measure for him. Press secretary of the Basmanny Court Yuno Tsareva confirmed to Rosbalt that the court had received relevant materials.

According to investigators, Zakharchenko served as a kind of head of the security service of a group of companies created by Markelov and other persons. For this he received a solid fixed “salary”, and subsequently a share of the profits of the group of companies. We are talking about billions of dollars, since Markelov’s structures are one of the largest contractors of Russian Railways.

Let us remember that in 2016, Zakharchenko was arrested on suspicion of taking a bribe. During searches in his office and apartment, relatives found 8.5 billion rubles, €2 million and more than $120 million in cash, which were seized and later turned into state revenue.

Businessman Valery Markelov is suspected of mediating a bribe of 2 billion rubles to Dmitry Zakharchenko, an employee of the GUEBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. In reality this amount is much higher.

As a source in the special services told Rosbalt, at the moment the case materials say that Markelov transferred 2 billion rubles to Zakharchenko. Moreover, this bribe was from other people who are still officially listed as unidentified.

“We are talking about one of the senior leaders of Russian Railways of those times,” the agency’s interlocutor expressed his opinion. Markelov headed a group of companies that were the largest contractors of Russian Railways. He was detained the day before in Sochi. The Basmanny Court is considering his arrest. Investigators believe that most of the funds found in Zakharchenko’s apartment were received from Markelov and persons associated with him.

Zakharchenko - decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Now it doesn't solve anything

In fact, in this story. Another thing is much more interesting - the amount that was found in the apartment in Zakharchenko is a kind of common fund of Krapivin himself or is it just Zakharchenko’s share for providing the company with “many small services.” We are more inclined to the first option. In addition, there is reason to believe that the billions found also included the money of thieving Russian Railways officials, who helped the 1520 group of companies receive the most delicious contracts. Zakharchenko was found to have a kind of “bank” from which bribes were paid to many Russian Railways functionaries and other law enforcement officers. It can be assumed that officials from the Ministry of Transport also “participated” in the designated benefits.

In general, such a situation and the publication of information in the federal media, as well as the “announcement in telegram” through the “mouthpiece of the Presidential Administration” Nezygar, gives reason to assume that the top decided to deal with the 1520 group of companies completely. The redistribution of the contractor market is now observed in practically all large state corporations, and Russian Railways is no exception.

Our edition "Charter.no" I have already reported about the 1520 group of companies and the Krapivin family, which have joined Russian Railways. Moreover, we have already reported in the publication that Markelov is responsible for relations with law enforcement agencies in the 1520 Group of Companies.

It was not theft that destroyed Yakunin, but, as happens in Russia, the lack of desire to share with those with whom it was necessary. And also the fact that Yakunin’s son at the wrong moment decided to acquire British citizenship. Yakunin was dismissed and replaced by the more loyal Oleg Belozerov. However, the “secret holdings” mastering Russian Railways tenders remained the same.

Even if you spend billions of budget money, you cannot cheat death. After Andrei Krapivin died in 2015, his son Alexey took his place. However, the “accomplices” remained the same - Valery Markelov, responsible in the syndicate for relations with law enforcement agencies. A thread stretches from Markelov to the Moscow “dealer” - the arrested Colonel Zakharchenko. The notorious colonel is closely involved in the story of cutting up Russian Railways. According to banker German Gorbuntsov, people involved in theft and money laundering from Russian Railways paid Zakharchenko 150 thousand euros per month.

Gorbuntsov also believes that the money found on Zakharchenko could have belonged to Markelov, and could have been those same “billions from Russian Railways.”

Usherovich is next

It is no coincidence that after Zakharchenko was detained, Usherovich went on the run

Another participant in the scheme is “authoritative businessman” Boris Usherovich. Unlike Mareklov, he is responsible for connections with the underworld. Usherovich is considered a member of the Lipetsk organized crime group. The wife of banker German Gorbuntsov talks about this: “When meeting with me and my husband, Usherovich behaved quite correctly. At the same time, during communication, he did not hide and regularly spoke about his affiliation with the Lipetsk organized crime group.”

Accordingly, next comes the turn of Boris Usherovich, who seems to us even less politically correct than Valery Markelov, since he communicates directly with the criminal world and is a lobbyist for the company among criminals and organized crime. Most likely, Usherovich keeps, if not the same, then a similar amount in size, as Zakharchenko.

Group of companies 1520 is one of the largest Russian production and construction holdings, whose main competencies are concentrated in the field of design and construction of railways. The geography of activity is the entire space of the Russian railway track with a width of 1520 mm, from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean.

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The investigation into the case of the former head of Directorate “T” of the GUEBiPK Ministry of Internal Affairs Dmitry Zakharchenko and an inspection of his entourage may result in new criminal cases in other regions. Security officers believe that the billionaire policeman did not forget the protection that high-ranking Rostov railway worker Viktor Kharchenko once provided him and protected his business. As it turned out, the head of the construction subsidiary of Russian Railways organized a family corporation in the south of Russia, which receives the most profitable government contracts - almost 1 billion rubles over the past two years. Operatives suspect that Kharchenko, as a state customer, approved applications from family firms, and his protégé Zakharchenko covered up all these shadow schemes and resolved issues with the security forces.

Family contract

Viktor Kharchenko, who sent Zakharchenko to Moscow and helped him with connections, still heads the southern branch of RZHDStroy - Construction and Installation Trust (SMT) No. 6. Now this is the backbone of his family business empire: his sons, daughter-in-law, and brother-in-law work there. The rest of the relatives are also employed in companies working with the Russian Railways corporation. The branch itself is engaged in construction in the Southern Federal District (SFD) and allows “its” companies to earn money.

According to operatives, the family business works like this: two or three companies controlled by Kharchenko’s relatives are put up for state tenders, and one of them makes a super offer.

At first glance, everything is clear: firms create competition and gradually reduce the price, ensuring the victory of one of them. A government contract is concluded with this company on behalf of Russian Railways structures,” a source in the intelligence services told Life.

Sometimes among the participants there were companies that were not directly associated with the Kharchenko family, but they were also managed by people who had previously worked in the family clan’s companies.

If you look at past tenders, they have common details. Thus, the competition was usually held in the form of a request for quotations, when applicants announced their price for performing work or services. Requests for quotations often came not from the parent company RZHDStroy, but from SMT No. 6, where Kharchenko and his family were in charge.

Such schemes should have attracted the attention of regulatory and law enforcement agencies, however, according to FSB operatives, the influential “fixer” Zakharchenko got involved in the matter. Thanks to his connections in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, among high-ranking officials in Moscow and in the regions, no one touched Kharchenko and his family business in the Southern Federal District. According to the security officers, the policeman could receive a share of the “mastered” government contracts for this.

Have a good hunting

The backbone of Kharchenko’s business empire was a hunting enterprise in the Rostov region called the “Private Hunting Club” (CHOK). Its leader is Anton Viktorovich Kharchenko, the youngest son of the head of the family clan. He and his father are co-owners. Previously, the co-owners were Kharchenko’s eldest son, Dmitry, and brother-in-law Ruslan Mashkin. Now Mashkin works as deputy director at SMT No. 6.

At first glance, the club was created for the activity of the same name - hunting, catching and shooting wild animals. But this was just a formality. In fact, the club was the founder of various companies that hunted for lucrative government contracts on the railways. At various times, PSC owned the companies Cascade and Novorossiysk Transport Company. These companies, as well as NTP RSK-Don, signed contracts worth 644 million rubles with RZDStroy in 2016. In 2015 - by 95 million.

The contracts were mainly related to the reconstruction of platforms and stations, as well as the supply of various materials for the needs of the railway.

They also made money by repairing and installing fences. This is a very profitable business. When you travel by train, you will often notice fences at stations and along the train. These modular fences in the colors of Russian Railways cost millions of rubles, and on sections of the North Caucasus Railway, most of the fences were supplied by “family contractors” or its business partners, the Life source added.

The most active player was the Cascade company, which in 2016 concluded contracts with Russian Railways for almost half a billion rubles. The security officers now have a special interest in her.

This company already appears in the materials of Zakharchenko’s case, which means that the contracts of this company will also be checked,” a source in the intelligence services told Life.

Now “Cascade” is not directly connected with the railway worker’s family: now it is owned by a certain Vyacheslav Guzev. In 2011, the company was the founder of the UMT company, which sells concrete. The latter, through the Ryabinushka company, is owned by Kharchenko himself together with his wife Tatyana.

The source also told Life that NTP RSK-Don is now mentioned in the materials of Zakharchenko’s case. She was indirectly connected with Kharchenko through Yugmekhtrans.

Yugmekhtrans and Novorossiysk Transport Company regularly appear in tenders, but rarely win. Their role may simply be reduced to playing on price. Investigators are now carefully checking all government contracts with companies of Kharchenko’s relatives and the circumstances of their conclusion.

According to experts, such a scheme of family business on state contracts should attract the attention of investigators.

If companies controlled by relatives of the customer participate in tenders, this is definitely an interested party transaction. Even if the companies were run by the customer’s former business partners or his friends, then this will be equivalent,” a member of the presidium of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, lawyer Pavel Zaitsev, told Life.

However, in his opinion, proving a violation of the law will not be easy.

To collect materials for a criminal case, you need to prove that the customer and the contractor were connected or previously agreed with each other. This requires rapid development - testimony of witnesses, wiretapping, - said Zaitsev. - Usually, for this purpose, the special services are looking for employees of the enterprise who were fired for negative reasons, who will not remain silent, but will be interested in telling the whole truth in order to take revenge on the former leader.

Billionaire for all time

In the case of Kharchenko’s “godson” - ex-head of Directorate “T” of GUEBiPK Dmitry Zakharchenko - news also appeared. Investigators added up the accounts, and now it turns out that the policeman was found with cash and various assets worth 31 billion rubles. This amount was made up of bank accounts, cash found in houses and cars, as well as the cost of his apartments.

Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko was detained on September 10, 2016. He is accused under the articles “Abuse of official powers”, “Obstruction of justice and preliminary investigation” and “Taking a bribe”. He does not admit his guilt and says that he had nothing to do with the billions. At the same time, at the trial, Zakharchenko stated that he was ready to help the investigation.

And recently, Zakharchenko’s boss, head of the GUEBiPK, Major General Evgeniy Kurnosenko, was found to have apartments and mansions worth 160 million rubles.