The Investigative Committee revealed theft schemes in the Moscow region

On the eve of the professional holiday - the day of the investigation bodies of the Russian Federation, the senior investigator for especially important cases under the chairman of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Filin, told Kommersant about the investigation of one of the largest economic crimes of recent years: thefts organized by the former first deputy chairman of the Moscow Region, the Minister of Finance, Alexei Kuznetsov. According to investigators, the damage from the actions of the ex-official, who should extradite from France, exceeds 14 billion rubles. Recently, another episode appeared in his case.

Photo: LLC "Publishing House Rodionov/Photo by ITAR-TASS

"Highly qualified financiers"

-It is believed that the case of the ex-minister of Kuznetsov is the most striking example of the so-called white-haired crime in Russia. Do you agree with this?

- Alexei Kuznetsov and his former first deputy Valery Nosov are not ordinary retirement. These are highly qualified financiers. Their possibilities for peaceful purposes!

As follows from the case file, they began to prepare for the accomplishment of theft in 2004. Then, on behalf of Jeanne Bullock, the wife of Alexei Kuznetsov, who had citizenships of Russia and the USA, her assistant, the future participant in the organized group, the US citizen Dmitry Kotlyarenko registered Rigroup LLC in Moscow, which later was the head organization during the ends.

As ex-Minister of Finance of the Moscow Region Alexei Kuznetsov came across fraud

Then, realizing that in order to perform financial transactions, according to which the stolen funds will be transferred to the accounts of controlled firms, they need to have a “pocket” bank, they took control of the Moscow collateral bank.

Further, Kuznetsov and Nosov, knowing that the head of the Moscow Regional Investment Trust Company (Mosobltrastinvest), whose 100% of the shares belonged to the government of the Moscow Region, are in constant contact with the leadership of the municipalities of the region, financial departments of the districts and heads of housing and communal services enterprises, which was needed to commit the official position, using the official position, in 2005, they put it in 2005, in 2005 put it in 2005. The head of this organization of his man is Vyacheslav Telepnev.

Considering that for transferring the stolen funds, dozens of bank accounts of one-day firms will be required, where the General Directors will include dummies, for the acquisition of documents of these companies, the NET Financial company, headed by Aleksei Eroshenko and sister Elena Kuznetsov, who also became smokers of the crime.

And in order to be more convenient to coordinate criminal actions, Kuznetsov, Nosov and Bullock took measures that allowed the offices of Rigroup, NET Financial and other companies controlled by him in the same building on Slavyanskaya Square, where the Nosov’s office, which at that time held the position of first deputy finance minister of the Moscow Region. The specified building was in walking distance from the building of the regional government in which Alexei Kuznetsov worked. As you can see, the group members were seriously preparing to implement a criminal plan.

- How exactly was the crime?

-Knowing that due to underfunding of the housing and communal services, a number of municipalities of the Moscow Region have debt to housing and communal services enterprises for previously rendered services and that the budget of the region for 2005 was made by the Government of the Moscow Region for a total of 2 billion rubles, for which such enterprises can return the blacksmiths, using their official position, called the leaders regions and informed them that there is money in the budget and that their task is to calculate debts, which will later make guarantees. In the areas, the relevant documents were calculated and drawn up.

After that, Kuznetsov and Nosov prepared guarantees for payment from the budget of these debts in the amount of 2 billion rubles. And, abusing the confidence of the governor of the Moscow region, they presented him with these documents for signature.

The signed guarantees were not deliberately transferred to the housing and communal services enterprises, but were stored by the head of Mosobrastinvest Telepnev and were further used to implement a criminal plan.

Further, to receive real funds in the amount of 2 billion rubles, which was in the budget, and the use of it in its selfish interests Telepnev on the command of Kuznetsov and Nosov found firms registered on the under -end persons, drawn up forged agreements under which housing and communal services enterprises lost the rights of debt to municipalities for the indicated amount. At the same time, Telepnev misled the heads of housing and communal services, promising debt payment. Then, the participants in the crime compiled false agreements, according to which the rights of debt requires from the specified dummy companies were first transferred to the confusion company (not to be confused with the famous confectionery factory . - “Kommersant” ), which was acquired by Kotlyarenko, Eroshchenko and Elena Kuznetsova, and then the late company Transneftegazstroy, which, which, in its own way into its own in its own The line acquired Telepnev.

Only after this, the crime participants approached the stage at which live money appeared. They decided to receive them in the form of loans in Interotopenergobank. Understanding that the bank will need guarantees that these loans will be repaid, Kuznetsov and Nosov, using their official position, agreed with the leadership of another bank - ZA Vnobytorgbank Retail Services CJSC that he will acquire the right to demand debt to municipalities of the Moscow Region for a total of 2 billion rubles from the Jurcentra of Transneftegazstroy.

How Alexei Kuznetsov was caught in the resort

At the same time, they proposed the conditions to the indicated bank, the implementation of which later led to the fact that Kuznetsov, the funds entrusted to Kuznetsov as the Minister of Finance were wasted from the budget of the Moscow region. In turn, Telepnev, on behalf of Kuznetsov and Nosov, agreed with the leadership of the Inter -Penergobank on the issuance of Loans of Loans for the total amount of 2 billion rubles to the company "Jurzenter Transneftegazstroy", saying that their refund will be provided with money received from the sale of Vneshotorgbank retail services "of the rights of debt requirements.

The funds received as a loan from the accounts of the "Jurcentra" immediately went to the account of "Confael", opened in the Moscow collateral bank. Then, on the command of Alexei Kuznetsov and Zhanna Bullock, who controlled the activities of this bank, Elena Kuznetsova, Elena, transferred funds to the accounts of controlled companies, where they became used in the interests of the crime participants.

- How did you figure it out?

- This is the result of collective actions. Considering that neither nosov nor Telepnev expressed desire to reveal the schemes of fraud, but began to completely deny guilt and tried their false testimonies to confuse the investigation, operational investigation measures were carried out, which allowed us to establish and interrogate hundreds of witnesses, study thousands of documents, conduct dozens of examinations, send numerous legal assistance petitions to foreign states. Unfortunately, this had to spend a lot of time, nerves and effort.

The stolen was invested in hotels, a yacht and jewelry

- Did you manage to find out what the stolen funds were spent on?

For the Court of France, that the banker, that the minister is still

- The funds received as a result of these thefts were transferred to Kuznetsov, Bullock, Nosov, opened in banks of Cyprus, France, Switzerland, USA. It was established that Kuznetsov and Bullock for this money purchased in France two hotels located in Curshell. Some of the money went to the accounts of the Bullock company, which also invested them in real estate, but already in New York. Kuznetsov purchased a necklace with diamonds and six emeralds for $ 1.7 million and a brooch of gold and platinum with five diamonds for $ 1.2 million for Bullock in Switzerland, and noses contained a family that went to Britain on stolen means. In addition, transfers of money were recorded to firms that acquired art items at the Sotheby's auction. The documents we received from abroad confirmed all these transactions.

- In the case of Alexei Kuznetsov, not only this episode, but also others?

- In 2007, according to the same scheme, they turned another scam, kidnapping from the budget of the Moscow Region another 2 billion rubles. In addition, in 2008, 7 billion rubles committed theft. There the scheme was different. Participants in the organized group, having implemented the shares of the Rosveb company, which already belonged to us, the Mosobltrastinvest already known to us, led by Telepnev, had to invest this money in the construction of the business center of the Government of the Moscow Region, but instead the money went into the help companies, the accounts of which were opened in the controlled participants of the Moscow collateral bank. It was March 2008, and Kuznetsov was already preparing to escape.

On June 26, he left for Nice, followed him Nosov, but then returned to Russia, as we believe in order to clean traces and control the situation.

At the end of last year, the Basmanny District Court sentenced Nosov, Telepnev and Kuznetsov Elena to the 14th, 10th and 7th years of imprisonment, respectively, and recently the verdict entered into force. By the way, according to the fraud episodes as a member of the organized group, Dmitry Kotlyarenko was supposed to pass, but thanks to the criminal negligence of certain officials, he disappeared abroad.

How Courchevel hotels were booked for confiscation

- How did this happen?

- Kotlyarenko in 2009 left for the United States, whose citizen he is, but then in the framework of the criminal case, which was investigated in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he was detained in Cyprus and issued to Russia. Since Kotlyarenko pleaded guilty, his case was considered in a special order, and in 2011 he received three years of conclusion for fraud. While he was sitting, we found out that he played an active role in the theft committed by the group of Alexei Kuznetsov. In order to charged him of committing a new crime, it was necessary to obtain permission from the Cyprus authorities. While the correspondence was going on, I officially warned the leadership of the colony, which contained Kotlyarenko that he would be charged with a number of episodes of fraud on an especially large amount and legalization of the stolen. However, as it turned out later, my documents were not submitted to the court, and in November 2012, on the basis of a positive characteristic presented from the same colony, a decision was made in court on its conventional-mode release. Freed, Kotlyarenko immediately flew to the United States. Although a criminal case was opened against the colony officers, Kotlyarenko could no longer be returned.

-What is the general damage caused by the team of ex-Minister of Finance of Mosobalay?

- At the moment, damage has been established in the amount of 14 billion rubles. But I can say with confidence that this is not the final amount, since the investigation of the criminal activity of Kuznetsov and his group continues.

- Have you identified new episodes?

- Yes, it was established that Kuznetsov and Nosov, together with other participants in the organized group, committed theft of more than 1 billion rubles, while applying another fraudulent scheme. In April 2005, the Decree of the Government of the Moscow Region approved the development program for the regional mortgage housing lending system for the period until 2010. One of the sources of financing for construction was funds raised by the placement of bond loans produced by OJSC “Moscow Regional Mortgage Agency” (OJSC MOIA) in the period 2005-2006. The placement of bonds in the securities market was carried out by CJSC "Investment and Financial Company" Rigip-Finance "under agreements with MoIa OJSC. The funds received from the bonds from the account of OJSC MoIa were received at the Mortgage Corporation of the Moscow Region OJSC and were used to finance the construction of housing and mortgage lending within the framework of the specified program.

In the period from January to February 2007, Kuznetsov, Nosov and Bullock, knowing that, according to this program, the Ministry of Finance of the Moscow Region is one of the performers for the organization of the release and placement of bond loans, organized the release of the next, third loan. Moreover, part of the group members of the group, using their official position, were not sent to mortgage lending, but to the accounts of controlled firms. As a result, money intended to solve housing problems was in Cyprus. As we installed, Kuznetsov and Bullock used them, including for the construction of a yacht.

- Did you really have to compensate at least part of the damage?

- In the process of investigation, Kuznetsov, Nosov and others, which is located in Russia, was seized on a certain property of Kuznetsov. The French at our request arrested two hotels in Curshel, belonging to the Bullock. However, unfortunately, this will not cover all damage. Kuznetsov and others at the expense of the Moscow Region lived very well.

As an antiques of a fugitive minister, they handed over to the Hermitage

-Last fall, it was reported that in St. Petersburg a whole collection of ancient paintings and other antiques, owned by Alexei Kuznetsov and Zhanna Bullock ... was seized ...

-As a result of investigative-operational actions in one of the premises located in St. Petersburg, a large number of paintings, ancient weapons, furniture, books and icons were indeed discovered. Given the evidence collected, it was established that these items belonged to Jeanne Bullock and Alexei Kuznetsov. The search for property acquired by the participants of the organized group continues. Including abroad.

- I read the decision of the French court, which satisfied the request for the issuance of Alexei Kuznetsov. The position of defense was given there and the ex-minister himself, which the court did not accept,-supposedly the St. Petersburg group achieved the displacement of the hero of the USSR Gromov and now threatens Kuznetsov as a member of his team ...

- You know, I was present at a court session when a request was considered on Kuznetsov's extradition. I heard his performance, and I, like a character from our favorite film, were offended by the state. It is a shame that for eight years this person has been one of the leaders of one of their largest regions of the country, actually implemented the financial policy of the Moscow region, gave instructions to hundreds of people subordinate to him, acted on behalf of the region’s government at various meetings, including abroad. When he was detained in France with several fake passports, he, trying in any way to avoid responsibility for the crimes committed, began to dodge in court, watering everyone with whom he worked for more than one year, mud, exposing himself as a victim of political intrigues ...

I believe that Kuznetsov, like Nosov with Telepnev, is a fraudster. Their goal was one - using their position, as well as the negligence of a number of officials, to kidnap funds and use them in their interests.

Interview prepared by Maxim Vatrovdin

"Damage to 14 billion rubles is not the final amount"