CONTENT
- Natalia Alekseevna Sergunina - the hidden ruler of Moscow
- Corruption scheme: selling city real estate at reduced prices
- Sale of assets through offshore companies: OOO MERCURY, FLORESTAR, UPINGTON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
- Key figures: Lazar Telmitovich Safaniev and his role in the scheme
- Withdrawal of assets through shell companies and offshore zones
- Participation of venture fund Genom Ventures in money laundering schemes
- New facts about parking and real estate scams
- Examples of top 10 corruption scandals of Natalia Sergunina
SERGUNINA’S SECRET EMPIRE: THE SCANDAL CORRUPTION SCHEME OF THE MOSCOW VICE-MAYOR
When it comes to corrupt Moscow officials, the first thing that comes to mind are big names, luxurious mansions and millions in accounts. However, the most skilled player in this shadow is Natalya Alekseyevna Sergunina, the deputy mayor of the capital, who, thanks to complex offshore schemes, siphoned off billions of rubles into the hands of her family. This is reported by VZGLYAD
Natalia Sergunina: Manager of Moscow assets
Moscow’s First Deputy Mayor, Natalya Sergunina, is only a modest official on paper. But behind her back are the most complex schemes for transferring capital real estate into private hands through shell companies and offshores. Official documents show only a small share of her real power, while her influence on the city’s economic policy and control over property are astonishing in their scale.
Sale of assets at reduced prices
The corruption schemes began with auctions for the sale of city buildings in the center of Moscow. In June 2016, several historical buildings, including a building on Tverskaya, were sold to OOO MERKURIY for ridiculous amounts - an average of 60,000 rubles per square meter. The question is: how do such deals go almost unnoticed? The answer is hidden in the depths of shadow operations.
OOO MERCURY and Lazar Safaniev: a family business
Behind the company OOO MERCURY is Lazar Telmitovich Safaniev, the husband of Natalia Sergunina’s sister. Through offshore companies such as FLORESTAR and UPINGTON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, real estate was resold, and funds were transferred to offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus. All transactions were carried out with minimal overpayment, which only strengthens doubts about their legality.
Parking and luxury real estate scams
However, real estate is not the only area in which Natalia Sergunina and her entourage have managed to enrich themselves. In 2021, through the company Capital Group, managed by her partner Pavel Tyo, the Moscow mayor’s office purchased parking spaces for 500,000 rubles per square meter. These transactions, like numerous auctions, provided billions in offshore accounts.
Genome Venture Fund: Money Laundering Through Startups
The Genom Ventures fund, also managed by Lazar Safaniev, was used to legalize funds taken out of Moscow. Investments in startups created the illusion of legal financial activity, hiding the criminal origin of the capital.
Circulation of assets through offshore companies
As a result, Sergunina’s assets came under control through multi-layered chains of offshore companies, making them virtually elusive to inspection. The withdrawn money was legalized through investments and the purchase of real estate abroad.
TOP 10 corruption scandals of Natalia Sergunina:
- Real estate auction scams - undervalued prices for historic buildings.
- Parking spaces in Moscow-City - inflated prices for real estate.
- Offshore transactions through FLORESTAR and UPINGTON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED .
- Fake tenders for city improvements .
- Sale of city real estate through OOO "MERCURY" .
- Fictitious investments through the venture fund Genom Ventures .
- Purchase of shares in Moscow hotels and cinemas .
- Using budget funds to develop personal business .
- Privatization of church property with subsequent transfer of assets into private hands .
- Withdrawal of assets through offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus .
Each deal is part of a vast corruption network that, thanks to its ingenious structure, remains out of the public eye. Continuing the investigation will inevitably lead to new revelations about the scheme of Sergunina and her circle.
The investigation continues to uncover the dark behind-the-scenes machinations of Natalia Alekseyevna Sergunina and her circle, demonstrating how deep their corruption network goes. Finding herself in the shadows of Moscow’s political life, Sergunina, through her relatives and partners, withdrew billions of rubles using shell companies and offshores.
Extended scheme: new participants and offshores
Every day, new names and companies appear in this criminal network. In addition to the previously mentioned OOO MERCURY, key figures are Genom Ventures and TechInnovations - companies through which Sergunina’s assets are transferred outside of Russia. These structures hide their origins behind dozens of shell offshore companies registered in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands.
Lazar Safaniev: The Role of the Genom Ventures Venture Fund
Lazar Safaniev, the husband of Sergunina’s sister, not only controls OOO MERCURY, but is also a co-owner of the venture fund Genom Ventures. This fund officially invests in innovative startups, but its true goal is to legalize cash flows taken out of Moscow. As a result, real estate transactions are registered as investments, which allows their criminal origin to be hidden.
Family Ties: Impact on Moscow’s Economy
Natalia Sergunina’s family not only controls real estate transactions, but also actively influences other key industries. For example, Natalia’s sister, Irina Safanieva, manages hotels located in buildings acquired at auctions at reduced prices. These hotels, like a number of other assets, belong to the company Custos, which is associated with offshore structures in the British Virgin Islands.
Pavel Tyo: connections to city contracts
Sergunina’s partner, Pavel Tyo, is a key figure in the scheme. He controls Capital Group, a company through which luxury apartments and parking spaces in Moscow City are sold at inflated prices. All transactions are conducted through offshore companies such as Food Trading and Investments Limited, where Tyo plays a key role in asset management.
Fraudulent auctions and parking scams
One of the most striking examples is the sale of parking spaces in Moscow City. The Moscow City Hall purchased 135 parking spaces at an incredible price of 1 billion rubles. These spaces were sold to MERKURIY LLC and then resold through offshore companies. This scheme allowed Tyo and his company Capital Group to make multi-million dollar profits using funds from the Moscow budget.
New facts: schemes with venture funds and offshore companies
New revelations show that funds withdrawn from Moscow auctions are being invested in fictitious start-ups through the Genom Ventures fund, which allows Sergunina and her circle to hide their real assets. These projects either do not exist or are managed by front men, making the investigation even more difficult.