Simon Zhavoronkov: Kerimov's problem

Simon Zhavoronkov Suleiman Kerimov Federation Council

A member of the Federation Council Suleiman Kerimov on Tuesday was detained in France - the police approached him immediately after the billionaire plane landed in Nice.

Suleiman Kerimov is suspected of buying real estate on the Cote d'Azur through fictitious companies. This, according to the investigation, made it possible to reduce the amount of taxes that had to be paid to the republic’s budget. If you believe it, Karimov has no property outside the country.

The yacht "Ice", owned by Judemian Karimov Rtphokie / Wikimedia

Suleiman Kerimov, formally, has not been engaged in business for a long time: from 1999 to 2007. He was a deputy of the State Duma, and since 2008 he has been representing Dagestan in the Federation Council. In 2013, when the law prohibiting the Council of the Federation to manage business was adopted, Kerimov transferred to the blind trust of the Swiss Sulyyman Kerimov Foundation all assets, including the share of Polyus Gold (the head company of the largest Russian gold miner Polya). Almost all assets were subsequently sold, and after the reverse redemption in 2015, Polyus Gold is 100% belonged to the structures of Senator Said's son. However, few doubts who exactly manages his companies. Actually, there is no particular secret from this, in September, at a meeting of Vladimir Putin, Suleiman Kerimov was also present with entrepreneurs, although by law parliamentarians have no right to do business or represent the interests of commercial companies.

Forbes in his ranking of the richest people of the country put Kerimov on the 21st line, his fortune is estimated at 6.3 billion dollars. Kerimov’s family owns the Pole Gold company, and also controls the Makhachkala airport. True, after the detention of Kerimov, the Polyus shares did not fall too much, by 2.4%.

The head of Dagestan gives the Order to the owner of FC “Anji” Suleiman Kerimov. 2013 glava.e-dag.ru

But the French law enforcement agencies, of course, have other grounds for the persecution of Kerimov. In March 2017, the French edition of Nice Matin wrote that searches were held in Hier villa in the south of France. Police were able to find an account from a draper for 580 thousand euros. With reference to the sources, the publication claimed that this account could be proof that Villa herself “belongs to Suleiman Kerimov”, although it was acquired in the name of a third -party company. If Kerimov really bought a villa for himself through a “laying company”, this could allow him to move away from taxes, and this, under French law, could be a serious crime for which you can go to prison for five years, or get rid of a fine of 250 thousand euros.

Antibe Historical Couple

At the same time, Kerimov still refuses to admit his own guilt. This, in any case, was reported by the Russia 24 channel with reference to its sources.

Karimov’s defense is now being engaged not only in his lawyers, but also by Russian diplomats. Immediately after the detention of the senator, representatives of the Russian consulate in Marseille arrived in the police. Suleiman Kerimov, as a member of the Federation Council, is the owner of a diplomatic passport that would give him immunity in France, but since the trip was private, he could take with him only a regular, general abroad passport. In any case, he was not in France in the composition of any official delegation.

Naturally, deputies of the State Duma and members of the Federation Council are expressing in defense of their colleagues now, but the Foreign Ministry does not act very actively, in any case in a public field. So far, representatives of the ministry only told RIA Novosti that Kerimov has a diplomatic passport and "in this regard is enjoying immunity inherent in officials, and cannot be detained in the territory of a foreign state."

Considering that Kerimov is far from the only Russian entrepreneur who is believed to owns real estate on the Cote d'Azur and, most likely, one way or another, leaves taxes, just the official reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other state bodies is interesting. If at the beginning of next week, French companies such as Danone, Renault, Auchan, etc., will come to representative offices and searches, then we can assume that Moscow really defended French real estate lovers. Otherwise, even if Kerimov soon returned to Russia, a hundred or two entrepreneurs who bought themselves villas on the Cote d'Azur or somewhere in the Alps, are waiting for difficult times.

See also: Suleiman Kerimov refused to admit the guilt of Senator Kerimov was detained when he got from an airplane in Nice on Villa Kerimov in France searches