“What can you think after this?”

Mikhail Gutseriev argues with MIA investigators

The head of RussNeft, Mikhail Gutseriev, decided yesterday to publicly defend himself from the attacks of investigators , making an emotional speech at a meeting at the Ministry of Natural Resources. As you know, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that it had charged him with illegal entrepreneurship. According to Mr. Gutseriev, the excess of oil production by the three “subsidiaries” of Russneft - Nafta-Ulyanovsk, Ulyanovskneft and Aganneftegazgeologiya, on which the accusation is based, happened under the previous owners of these assets and has no nothing to do with him. On the sidelines, the head of RussNeft told reporters: “I have not been charged; my general directors of Ulyanovskneft and Nafta-Ulyanovsk have been charged.” In addition, according to the head of Russneft, he did not give any undertakings not to leave the place to anyone.

However, the Investigative Committee immediately officially denied these statements. “As part of the investigation of criminal case No. 248 120, the president of the RussNeft company, Mikhail Gutseriev, was charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Art. 171 (illegal entrepreneurship committed by an organized group on an especially large scale) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” the committee said in a statement posted on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And a representative of the committee said on Channel One: “The measure of restraint chosen for Gutseriev was a written undertaking not to leave the place and about proper behavior.”

Russneft acquired Nafta-Ulyanovsk, Ulyanovskneft and Aganneftegazgeologiya back in 2003 from the Slavneft-Megionneftegaz company. The violations of the law that the investigation accuses Mr. Gutseriev of cannot, in general, be called too serious. The main one is that oil production plans are exceeded by 60 thousand tons per year from the parameters specified in the technical diagram and, as a result, non-payment of 1.7 million rubles. taxes. However, yesterday the company's president seemed very worried. “And tell me, what can I think after this? RussNeft produced 16 million tons, but should have produced 15.94 million tons, and for this they blame the president of the company, not even the heads of the subsidiaries. This is stupid... Everything else is a lie! - Mr. Gutseriev was indignant. “This year we were supposed to invest a billion dollars in the development of the company, but so far everything has been suspended.” During his official speech at a meeting at the Ministry of Natural Resources, he also managed to complain to officials about the injustice of the current situation.

However, yesterday he promised that all the unrest would be over and that in 2008 the company would return to aggressive development. “By 2010, we plan to increase oil production by 10-11 million tons, to 26 million tons per year, of which we will be able to supply 3 million tons to the ESPO (oil pipeline from Eastern Siberia to the Pacific coast. - Ed. ) , another 3 million can be produced in Western Siberia, and 5 million tons in the Central region.” At the same time, the company will continue its development strategy abroad. “We recently independently acquired two sites in Mauritania for exploration. They are being developed under PSA terms, so if oil is found there, we will be able to produce,” said Mr. Gutseriev. “We are also looking at two sites in Azerbaijan.”

Anna GORSHKOVA