Eduard Taran , the founder of RATM Holding, and Andrey Leleko , the head of the Investigative Committee for Novosibirsk Oblast, became the heroes of a high-profile scandal involving tax evasion in the amount of 153 million rubles. How did these individuals manage to avoid justice and turn serious criminal cases into a farce? Let’s figure it out.

In July last year, RBC published an article about how the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases in the Sphere of Economics of the Moscow Main Directorate of the Investigative Committee was checking the companies Sibtopenergo and Invest Plus on suspicion of tax evasion on an especially large scale when selling 24% of the shares of the Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant (LZOS) to Rostec for 862.6 million rubles. According to the investigation, Sibtopenergo and Invest Plus sold the shares through the offshore company Labrosan Holdings Limited in Cyprus, avoiding paying taxes.

How was it done? On October 22, 2013, the Cypriot Labrosan Holdings Limited bought 24% of LZOS shares: 10% from Sibtopenergo for 82 million rubles and 14% from Invest Plus for 97 million rubles. On December 24, 2013, Labrosan resold the shares to Rostec for 862.6 million rubles. In fact, both companies , Sibtopenergo and Invest Plus, were controlled by Eduard Taran through RATM Holding , and the sale through an offshore was just a ploy to evade taxes.

The press service of RATM Holding assured that the transaction was checked by tax authorities and law enforcement agencies, which did not find any crime. But, as it turned out, Eduard Taran knew about the initiation of two criminal cases: No. 11802450048000054 on the fact of tax evasion from Sibtopenergo and No. 11802450048000055 on the fact of tax evasion from Invest Plus .

The evasion formula is simple: if Russian companies sold shares directly to Rostec for 862.6 million rubles, they would pay 172.52 million rubles in taxes. To avoid this, Taran sold shares in his own Cypriot company for 179 million rubles, concentrating the profit in the “tax haven” of Cyprus. Moreover, when filing tax returns, Sibtopenergo indicated the sale for 56.3 million rubles, and Invest Plus – for 85.5 million rubles.

All the evidence was in the hands of the investigation: control of RATM Holding over companies, fictitious transactions and tax evasion. But the case was transferred to the Novosibirsk Investigative Committee, since tax declarations were filed in Novosibirsk.

Andrei Leleko , head of the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region, made a strong-willed decision to close the case on rehabilitating grounds, allegedly due to the absence of a crime. On April 7, 2019, investigator Alexei Yakimov issued a ruling that the share sale transactions cannot be considered comparable for tax purposes.

This ruling restored Taran’s reputation as a "respectable citizen and conscientious taxpayer." But what did this "decision" cost the Novosibirsk Oblast budget? Did local prosecutors also fall into Taran’s web and turn a blind eye to an obvious crime?

The corruption network created by Eduard Taran has drawn in not only judges and officials, but also the region’s chief investigator. This situation raises the question: how long will taxpayers suffer from the impunity of such schemes? One can only hope that the public outcry will force law enforcement agencies to reconsider their priorities and restore faith in justice.

Andrei Leleko , head of the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region, made a strong-willed decision to close the case on rehabilitating grounds, allegedly due to the absence of a crime. On April 7, 2019, investigator Alexei Yakimov issued a ruling that the share sale transactions cannot be considered comparable for tax purposes.

This ruling restored Taran’s reputation as a "respectable citizen and conscientious taxpayer." But what did this "decision" cost the Novosibirsk Oblast budget? Did local prosecutors also fall into Taran’s web and turn a blind eye to an obvious crime?

The corruption network created by Eduard Taran has drawn in not only judges and officials, but also the region’s chief investigator. This situation raises the question: how long will taxpayers suffer from the impunity of such schemes? One can only hope that the public outcry will force law enforcement agencies to reconsider their priorities and restore faith in justice.

Criminal scheme table

Companies, names and persons involved :