Angstrom debt pit: Reiman threw accounts to Chemezov and Yevtushenkov?
Photo: https://kad.arbitr.ru/ The debt, which has every chance of becoming a stone pulling to the bottom of Angstrom, arose under a surety agreement of 16.01.2012. The company vouched for ВЭБ.РФ on the loan of Angstrem-T JSC, issued back in 2008.
The two companies were part of a group of affiliated individuals. "Angstrom-T": background and ownership scheme It will not be superfluous to recall that Angstrom-T was established in 2005 and the goal of the project was to produce integrated circuits on plates with a diameter of 200 mm using modern technological processes with minimum design standards of 130-90 nm. At the start, the technological partner was Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) (USA), and a construction partner was chosen by a construction company from Germany — M + W Zander FE GmbH. Vnesheconombank (predecessor of ВЭБ.РФ) provided money for the implementation of the project of Angstrem-T from Zelenograd. Under the guarantee of the Russian government, a credit line was opened on the security of the debtor’s shares in the amount of up to 850 million euros. But the 2008 crisis led to the fact that equipment was stuck in European warehouses and construction stalled. In subsequent years, the lender even considered the possibility of withdrawing pledged shares, but he was convinced to give the project a chance. This asset, which received state support, initially had a rather confusing ownership scheme. So, according to Rusprofile, Angstrom-T JSC was the successor of the eponymous LLC, which belonged to Angstrom JSC and Angstrom-M OJSC. The latter went bankrupt and ceased to exist in 2017. For 2016, Angstrem-M belonged to three legal entities: Russian Electronics OJSC (now Rostec Division), Koal Trade CJSC and Contract FinanceGroup CJSC. The latest media associated with the former head of Mezhpromabank, the former partner of Senator from Tuva Sergei Pugachev Sergei Veremeenko. According to the authors of the CNews website, allegedly in 2007 KoalTrade belonged to the Cypriot company Eventis Telecom Holdings (ETH), which allegedly controls the Russian company through the offshores Saperfly and Amagusto Corporation registered in the British Virgin Islands. Photo: https://www.e-disclosure.ru/ But already in October 2012, the FAS Russia approved the petition of Angstrom Group LLC to buy a 100% stake in Angstrom-T OJSC. According to Rusprofile, Angstrom Group LLC belonged to Leonid Reiman, the full namesake of the then former Minister of Communications. Judging by the materials of one of the litigation, Reiman became the owner of the Cypriot company RUNICA INVESTMENTS LIMITED. Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru Meanwhile, back in 2012, the state program "Development of the electronic and radio-electronic industry for 2013-2025" was approved, which was developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, where Angstrem-T JSC assigned an important role. But the ambitious plans were not destined to come true. Already in 2016, the project began to have problems. The first "fell" "Angstrom-M," which was part of the same division, and then the JSC "Angstrom-T" itself. The Supervisory Board of the ВЭБ.РФ recognizes the Angstrem-T project as a special project and "in connection with the significance of the project for the development of the domestic technological industry, as well as the presence of signs of insolvency, Angstrem-T JSC decides to buy 100% of the shares for one ruble. The goals of the project were already spelled out in the documents — "ensuring the activities/launch of the production of semiconductor components in Zelenograd," while ВЭБ.РФ losses from participation in the project were subject to coverage through subsidies from the federal budget. The seller in the transaction with ВЭБ.РФ in 2018 was RUNICA INVESTMENTS LIMITED represented by the ultimate beneficiary L. Reiman. The state corporation "ВЭБ.РФ" acquired shares for one ruble, that is, it actually received an asset for debts that by that time amounted to approximately the annual budget of some small Russian region. So, in 2018, the ВЭБ.РФ acquires a stake in Angstrom-T from an offshore company for one ruble, but this does not suit Angstrom, which is trying to recognize the transaction as fake through the court, apply the consequences of its invalidity in the form of applying the rules on the agreement on compensation under the pledge agreement, as well as on recognizing the obligation of Angstrom JSC under the guarantee agreement terminated. In December 2022, in the higher instance of Angstrom, the dispute lost and, accordingly, remained the guarantor of a huge loan, shares on which were collected from it in June 2023. Photo: https://kad.arbitr.ru/ By the time of the transaction with VEB, judging by all the same court materials, Angstrem-T, in fact, was "brought to the handle" — "there was a significant amount of loans attracted, the debtor’s operating activities were unprofitable, according to reports, the profit from sales since 2015 is negative, the company did not have an approved business plan, the production of products was not withdrawn to planned capacity." But those who led the asset to this state remained on the sidelines. Today, the Angstrem-T company is bankrupt with multibillion-dollar debts, while VEB is trying to restart production through its subsidiary, NM-Tech LLC. But so far, judging by the fact that in 2022 the net loss amounted to 2.9 billion rubles, it is somehow out of touch. Photo: https://www.e-disclosure.ru/ According to data from the materials of the courts, 25% each in Angstrem JSC was also owned by Contractfinancgruppe and Angstrem-Invest. The owners of the latter previously included Reiman’s Angstrom Group LLC, but since 2017, a certain Dmitry Matveev first became the legal owner, and then Pavel Matveev (from May 2022). Perhaps they are relatives. Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru Edak Reiman was saved from all ballast, while not without the seizure of assets. And who will repay the debts? Did Reiman emerge dry from the water? Former Minister Reiman, who "inherited" both Angstrom-T and Angstrom, actually came out of the water dry. After all, no one personally claims multibillion-dollar debts from him. But he is still trying to gain a margin from those legal relations. For example, on July 18 and 27, the Moscow arbitration will consider two claims of Alternative Capital LLC against Angstrom JSC for a total amount of over 0.5 billion rubles. The details are not yet known, but, probably, we are again talking about some old debts of the period of ownership of the asset by Reiman. And earlier, the court had already recovered 52 million rubles from Angstrom in favor of Reiman’s company. This time, the arguments about affiliation that Zenit Bank cited in another case were never voiced in this dispute. It is worth noting that Reiman is no stranger to emerging from murky stories without consequences. As the "Kommersant" newspaper reported in 2011, Reiman’s name was mentioned in the materials of the criminal case on laundering $150 million through Commerzbank employees and a Danish lawyer. All of these persons, of course, denied their participation in this case. And in 2006, a scandal broke out altogether. Then the minister was also mentioned by CNews in the "Megafon case" as a possible owner of shares that had left the hands of the state. Mr. Reiman himself then refuted these conclusions of the court. The Moscow Post also previously told about a number of other murky stories in which the former minister appeared. Reiman’s business portfolio: the factory did not take off According to Rusprofile, today Reiman owns shares in four existing legal entities — Logia LLC (has five subsidiaries, including in the field of aircraft production, software development), Alternative Capital LLC, Invitek Management LLC (had 15 legal entities in management) and FAB LLC (Battery Factory), the cost of shares in which in 2022 has a negative value — 6.4 billion rubles. At the same time, the ex-minister’s companies had their own margin from the budget. So, for example, Logia LLC was the executor in 16 state contracts worth more than 83 million rubles, among the customers was the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. And Heliprom SPB LLC (owned by Alternative Capital LLC) acted as a supplier in 16 state contracts worth more than 0.4 billion rubles. Some contracts were signed in 2021-2023, among the customers — TsSN SR Rosgvardia, FGBU "Research Institute of TsPK named after Yu.A. Gagarin," KGUAP "Plastun-Avia," military departments.