"I did not sell my business and did not receive a single kopek for it. It was taken away from me in a criminal way, through murder threats and through falsifying documents," Andrei Andreyev said.
Andreyev, who has been in hiding since December, said that he and nominal shareholders, through whom he controlled 54 percent in metals company Nosta, 80 percent in Ingosstrakh and about 80 percent in Avtobank, began receiving murder threats from his former krysha, or protector, Rodion Gamzayev in September.
He said the nominal shareholders were coerced into signing over the shares and, in some cases, ownership documents were falsified.
Andreyev alleged that Gamzayev and former Avtobank head Natalya Rayevskaya offered the businesses to State Duma Deputy Suleiman Kerimov, who Andreyev said had ties to Nafta-Moskva.
Andreyev claimed to have walked in on a Sept. 28 meeting of the three with representatives of Nafta-Moskva and David Davidovich, a board member of metals giant Russian Aluminum.
"Davidovich signed the deal on behalf of Sibneft and SibAl with Gamzayev, Rayevskaya and Nafta-Moskva representatives," Andreyev said.
RusAl co-owners Deripaska and Abramovich control industrial holding SibAl and oil major Sibneft, respectively.
After the sale, Rayevskaya was replaced by Vladimir Ryskin, who formerly worked as a banker within the Interros holding.
The allegations are currently being investigated by the organized crime unit of the Interior Ministry, and investigators have already searched the offices of Nafta-Moska.
Andreyev, a former Moscow policeman, bought into Avtobank in the early 1990s, using the proceeds from a fur business he set up in 1989. He used some of the huge profits his banking business generated in 1997-98 to buy into Ingosstrakh, real estate and metals.
"First, [it's not that they] belonged to me, but belong to me. Criminal actions cannot lead to a legal change of ownership," Andreyev said.
Nosta, Avtobank and Ingosstrakh stakes were not available for comment, nor were Kerimov or Rayevskaya.
Representatives of Millhouse, Sibneft and SibAl declined to comment.
(Vedomosti, MT)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.