Office is reopening? Mikhail Abyzov, ex-Minister for Relations with Open Government, was hiding in Italy during hard times

The former Russian official was at his villa during hard times

Clouds started piling up above Mikhail Abyzov back in summer – immediately after the disbandment of his semi-mythical ‘open government’. For some reason, Abyzov, having no ministerial portfolio and deprived of the position, got concerned about his liberty. His anxiety has dissipated only at his private villa in Tuscany. In the meantime, the situation has miraculously changed in Russia as well.

Stolen sun

Sometimes, exciting news pass totally unnoticed. For instance, former officials of the Ministry for Relations with the Open Government disbanded in May 2018 have complained about the closeness and non-transparency of the Russian Government. According to them, activities of two public councils – under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Federal Forestry Agency – have been put on hold after the shutdown of their Ministry. The complainants were anonymous – in fact, both themselves and their Ministry were virtually unknown to the public. However, they have mentioned the name of ex-Minister Abyzov claiming that, under his rule, the public councils had held sessions on a regular basis (although no one was interested in resolutions of such sessions).

In the meantime, the mood of the former Minister without portfolio has drastically improved in Tuscany. He could not even imagine his semi-mythical Ministry to be remembered in such a context. Abyzov had rather expected the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICR) or Prosecutor General's Office to express interest to him. Therefore, immediately after the termination, the ex-Minister went abroad together with his young wife. They have visited Courchevel and Dubai and returned from these trips not to Moscow – but to Italy. In fact, Abyzov had lately avoided Moscow by all means.

Ex-Minister’s wife travels a lot

Abyzov went on the run after the arrest of venture capital investor Mikhail Chuchkevich – charged, together with a top manager of Russian Venture Company (RVC), with embezzlement of 1.3 billion rubles ($19.8 million). According to the investigation, Chuchkevich has siphonedoff the state funds to companies controlled by himself and Ryazantsev. Officially, the B&N Bank credits in the amount of 1.3 billion rubles ($19.8 million) were used for the development of solar batteries. American company Alion Energy was supposed to produce this technological wonder for RVC. Back in 2012, the import substitution was not that actual yet – and financiers Chuchkevich and Ryazantsev had reasonably believed that dollar is more reliable currency than the ruble. The budget of such a project could be really big – while exchange rate fluctuations allowed to write off significant amounts.

Yan Ryazantsev

The venture capital investors were so busy with currency speculations that had totally forgotten about the secrecy. At some point, it became obvious that there will be neither money nor solar batteries – and the investigative authorities expressed interest to Alion Energy. Too bad, they haven’t found out that Minister Abyzov used to be a member of its Board of Directors. By the time of the criminal case institution, he has already lost the ministerial post. Instead of collaborating with the investigators, Abyzov was hiding on the best world resorts and ultimately settled at his Il Tesoro villa in Tuscany. However, even without his revelations, the operatives managed to uncover plenty of interesting facts.

Mikhail Abyzov’s villa in Italy

Open to the entire world 

Ironically, but the schemes pulled off by the Minister for Relations with the Open Government were shamelessly open. He had administered Alion Energy on behalf of Batios Holdings Limited offshore company even before the transfer of RVC’s money to it. Abyzov was an investor of Bright Capital venture capital and growth equity firm – that had also invested funds into Alion Energy. According to Chuchkevich, Abyzov has personally endorsed the deal between Bright Capital and Alion Energy in California. Furthermore, the adult son of Mikhail Abyzov resides in this sunny American state... Now it is time to remember another similar story involving the same persons.

ikhail Chuchkevich

In 2007–2010, Abyzov has left a mark in the UK energy industry. The billionaire – not a civil servant yet – has purchased 51% of shares in Britain's Powerfuel energy development company promising to transform it into a coal giant. His promises were addressed not only to the British shareholders. As a result, two banks agreed to finance Abyzov’s coal mines: the ING Group, a Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation, and Russia-based VTB Bank. The ambitious project has quickly turned into a black hole that consumed £800 million. The bankruptcy of Powerfuel has sparked plenty of questions in the British press. 

By that time, many investors have already realized that they will never see their money again. Shortly after that, Bright Capital venture fund has been established. There are no companies in its portfolio promising to evolve over time in new Microsoft or General Electric – however, there are plenty of ‘laundromats’ there specializing in various spheres, from energy to medicine. Alion Energy, the recipient of RVC’s funds, is among these ‘laundromats’, too. Three years ago, Alfa-Bank accused E4 holding founded by Abyzov of fraud – E4 owed 10 billion rubles ($152 million) to the bank. In addition, Abyzov had a legal dispute with Viktor Vekselberg, the main litigant of the Forbes list, – Vekselberg was unwilling to return $451 million to the Minister. 

However, ‘laundromats' do not generate decent revenues. The proceeds of the fraud with solar batteries involving Alion Energy were only sufficient to purchase a villa in Tuscany and maintain it for some time. Taking that Abyzov has four children, an ex-wife, and a new young one – who does not like sitting at home, – he had to create a smoothly running and reliable business. It is pretty open and transparent. The former Minister without portfolio owns Ru-Com Holding controlling the entire energy sector of Siberia via Sibeko Joint Stock Company affiliated with him. Openness crusader Abyzov is responsible for the 15% hike in utility fees in Novosibirsk in 2017.

Anatoly Chubais

But, in fact, the Siberians got off cheaply. In the past, Mikhail Abyzov had practiced totally different enrichment methods. Being a top manager of memorable RAO UES, he has invented the notorious power cutoffs – the people still hate Anatoly Chubais for that. But Chubais does not harbor bad feelings against Abyzov because he had unbelievably efficiently collected arrears from hospitals, schools, and other institutions. It was the period of his initial accumulation of capital. 

Deep in Siberian offices... 

Later, Abyzov has admitted – another example of openness! – that his business was built “on personal contacts”. Apparently, his primary contact was Vitaly Mukha, then-Governor of the Novosibirsk Region. The regional administration had signed enslaving contracts with ORTEK and Agropromkontrakt companies affiliated with Mikhail Abyzov to supply fertilizers, agricultural machinery, and fuel and lubricant materials not really needed by the Novosibirsk region at artificially high prices. In 1998, the region has paid to Abyzov 200 billion rubles (some $10 billion at the exchange rate of that period); a portion of that amount was paid with Novosibirskenergo shares.    

Vitaly Mukha

Chubais – who, despite his love for ‘shady’ schemes, had never acted so ‘openly’ – has noticed the masterful negotiator. As a result, businessman Abyzov became his deputy and member of the boards of directors in six subdivisions of RAO UES. Abyzov was expected to deal with arrears and barter trades in RAO UES. He has brilliantly collected the debts – but the barter trades turned out to be a problem: Abyzov was not proficient in elegant financial schemes – although acquired the taste after the contracts with the Novosibirsk region. 

Therefore, the corporations entrusted to him developed a passion for securities and companies affiliated with Abyzov. For instance, Krasnoyarskenergo and Kuzbassenergo had signed energy supply contracts with NOREM that was earlier administered by Abyzov. NOREM used to settle its accounts with RAO UES with promissory notes and then resold the electricity for cold hard cash. Sergei Mikhailov, a friend of Abyzov, was in charge of Kuzbassenergo in that period; another henchman of Abyzov was appointed the head of Krasnoyarskenergo. Everything was done perfectly openly. Chubais was astonished – as a result, Abyzov has taken an active part in the sale of RAO UES. Apparently, the Ministry for Relations with the Open Government was a reward granted to Abyzov for his ability to embezzle public funds so openly. The talents of Abyzov still attract admirers. The anonymous complainants from the disbanded Ministry have staged an entire show a la “Why have you abandoned us?” Does this mean that Abyzov may return anytime soon?

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