The Republic of Bashkortostan became one of the regions where a demonstration bringing of the local elite into obedience started in 2000. As well as in Moscow and in Tatarstan, the process was stretched out for the whole decade here. The sovereign rule of Murtaza Rakhimov and his clan was based on a strong structural foundation. And it was so strong foundation that even the transfer of Murtaza Gubaydullovich from the presidential post to the management of Bashneft Company couldn’t shake the clan positions drastically (in contrast to the situation with Yury Luzhkov).

The Bashkir bureaucracy, big business, especially oil, cultural and scientific elite, in general, has remained loyal to the man who is considered a “founding father” of modern Bashkortostan. The republic is still ruled by a conglomerate of powerful dynasties, originating from the time of the Bashkir ASSR. One of these highest families is the Gizatullins, around whom a complex of scandals with severe criminal shade has flamed up, forcing to look at the overall Bashkir situation in a new way.

80-year-old Hamid Gizatullin belongs to the circle of the most respected people of the republic. He is neither an official nor a businessman, but he has held leading positions in research-and-production management for many years. Back in Soviet times, Hamid Nurislamovich headed the Department of Economic Research of the Bashkir Branch of Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He specialized in the management of metallurgical complexes. Although the Bashkir economy is associated primarily with oil industry, metallurgy takes not so loud, but rather an important position.

Even in the Bashkir ASSR, it were taken measures to create a full technological chain - oil production and refining were supplied with equipment from the republic's machine-building enterprises, in turn tied to metallurgical enterprises. It is enough to mention Beloretsk metallurgical plant, one of the oldest in the USSR. Accordingly, Hamid Gizatullin was a prominent figure of the planning commissions that affected the region's economic strategy. He not only has kept these positions, but also has strengthened since the early 1990's. In Rakhimov’s twenty years governing, Gizatullin belonged to the circle of closest economic advisers of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Activities of Gizatullina Sr. have been always connected with state academic and state economic institutions. The Professor’s son Timur Gizatullin Jr. chose a different path, making a bet on private business. His father's position opened up wide opportunities and gave a lot of start. But, it should be noted that the type of personality of Timur Khamidovich is different from the one of respectable professor.

From the dock to a respectable businessman

Timur Gizatullin failed to study at the Moscow State University. Hamid Nurislamovich got arranged his son in the Bashkir State University. But in 1995, Timur entered in his first crime: in a gang of raiders, he found himself in the dock. But unlike his accomplices, he was convicted only for illegal possession of a weapon. Gizatullin Sr. took all effectual care that Timur got off with a suspended sentence.

The successful way out of the situation inspired Gizatullin. In 1996, he began to acquire a business. To start, he chose the sphere of trade in food products and alcohol. The scheme was simple: goods were bought in Moscow and were sold in Ufa with a marked up “delta”. The initial capital was obtained through the efforts Gizatullina Sr. again, who had already become a Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Sciences. After a friendly conversation of the professor and the president, the funds were granted on favorable terms by Bashkreditbank, the future Uralsibm (is derived from the name of the president's son Ural Rakhimov) which actually represented a Rakhimovs family company and was used to finance personal consumption of the closest friends in the mid-1990s.

Such a springboard provided a sharp rise of Timur Gizatullin. Successful trading operations allowed establishing the “Mir vin” chain of alcohol stores. Murtaza Rakhimov appraised the entrepreneurial talent of the professor’s son. The presidential family’s business, founded on oil, included some non-core assets. One of these assets, a retail chain, was transferred to Timur Gizatullin for further promotion.

 

“Pocket” bank to help

In 1998, the Bashkreditbank partnership was transformed into Uralsib JSC. Three years later, the bank, by the time entered the top twenty of financial institutions of Russia, transacted business with Gizatullin and transferred him a large trading chain Universal Trading. This LLC was a “basic element”, on which later Matrix-Holding grew - a business system of Timur Gizatullin, engaged in wholesale and retail trade, as well as real estate transactions. It was done according to a usual Russian scheme - foundation of private wealth was laid by the state patronage. The official was primary.

Caring patronage of President Rakhimov allowed Gizatullin purchase stores for the Matrix in the best places of Ufa, then - across the republic, and finally, gradually he got to Moscow. The chain brought together 40 profitable points in several Russian regions. It covered three-quarters of retail market of the Bashkir capital. The careless student, expelled from the university and caught on illegal gun, became one of the largest businessmen of the sovereign Republic of Bashkortostan. But – can’t have too much of a good thing. And legitimately acquired property soon wasn’t enough. Quite reasonably counting on support - or, at least, indifference – of the republican authorities, Timur Gizatullin turned to raider actions.

 

Raider way

The first known fact of this kind refers to 2004. The Moscow Stolichny komitet imushchestvennykh otnosheny (Capital Property Relations Committee) LLC, included in the business system of Gizatullin, purchased a 1000-meter room in the house on the Tsyurupa street, 80 in Ufa. It was done by the most primitive of raider schemes: the real estate was reregistered in the tax office with the help of false documents to a front company which, in turn, transferred it to the Stolichny komitet through a chain of one-day firms. In addition, behind the scenes, they colluded with the director of the company, which owned the Chance shop, Valery Zabrodsky, unfaithful to his company.

The operation was kept in secret for a long time, waiting for the right moment. And in 2005, a next store of Matrix moved to the room. The rightful owners of the Chance shop were just kicked out of the place.

There was a criminal case, there was a court, Zabrodsky received five years of suspended sentence. But Matrix remained in the stolen room. The power determination, supported by insuperable administrative resources, proved its effectiveness. Gizatullin's raiderism went on in breadth and in growth. And it went even more carefully.

The main field of such events became the field of trade in real estate. As a key structure, Ufimsky komitet imushchestvennykh otnosheny Ltd. (Ufa Property Relations Committee), led by Svetlana Antonova , Timur Gizatullin’s sister, was used. A special commercial effect was achieved by virtuosic tax avoidance. They got the income turned over front companies, which disappeared before the payments. Construction business was conducted successfully as well.

In 2006, Gizatullin had a second, after Rakhimov, authoritative partner. It was the mayor of Samara Victor Tarkhov elected from the pseudo-opposition of that time (Party of Life, which later became part of Just Russia). He was a very big businessman, the actual owner of a company on development of commercial air transport. He found commercial relationship with the owner of Matrix (and through him - with the President of Bashkortostan) to be beneficial. In particular, Tarkhov's administration at a moderate price sold the building of Volna cinema in Samara to Gizatullin. Then Timur Khamidovich resold it for 100 million rubles.

 

Out of favor with new authority

In 2008, Timur Gizatullin went downwards. The new president of the Russian Federation started a new round of housecleaning of regional authorities. The main target was Yury Luzhkov, Mintimer Shaimiev, and Murtaza Rakhimov. For the position of the Bashkir president, Dmitry Medvedev obviously prepared Radiy Habirov (who became famous last year for the defeat of the party project of Mikhail Prokhorov).

The Bashkir ruling clan organized powerful resistance to the Moscow “new sweeper”. A cascade of criminal cases was brought down on Habirov. The Kremlin had to maneuver, moving Habirov to the powerful Domestic Policy Directorate of the Presidential Administration. The response followed immediately: Ural Rakhimov Jr. became involved in a criminal case. Son of Bashkir president had to relinquish control over Bashneft and move away into the shadow, to a modest place of a republican deputy.

In such position of affairs, the interest of Murtaza Rakhimov to Timur Gazitullin and his problems considerably dropped. Meanwhile, it was precisely in 2008-2010, when the Matrix was in need of administrative support as never before. The maturity date for the bonds of the holding at total amount of 1.2 billion rubles just approached. And there were no funds for these payments.  At once it was opened that the Gazitullin’s business was supported only by Rakhimov’s protection. Matrix defaulted and received a series of lawsuits from bondholders. By the way, Sberbank was among them.

But trouble comes in threes. In July 2010, Murtaza Rakhimov resigned as President of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The law enforcement bodies as if on command (perhaps, just on command) drew attention to Gizatullin’s structures. The GSU at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bashkortostan opened a case No. 8010012 on the fact of pseudo-business activity. The subject of consideration was the work of Stroyvek LLC, one of the front companies involved in the sale of real estate and construction projects of Timur. During interrogation, director of Stroyvek Arthur Bensel admitted that for small money gave his passport for registration of the LLC, and then he had no relation to managing the company. Funds pumped through the Stroyvek eventually were transferred to the real structures of Gizatullin, in particular to the very Ufa Property Relations Committee.

The situation threatened to turn into a serious persecution. Timur was showered with criminal cases, including lawsuits filed by companies whose real estate property was intercepted previously. And the case No. 7010150 was filed against Svetlana Antonova. Gizatullin’s sister was suspected of tax evasion at several hundreds of millions of rubles. In the criminal case file, Timur himself and most of his companies - Matrix finance, Ufa Property Relations Committee, Master Vin, Universal Trading - appeared.

Launched in August 2010, an attempt to close the case failed. Soon it was reopened and the investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, at the instigation of the tax authorities, the Matrix started to be expelled from the sites in Ufa. The courts, which were no longer magnetically operated by Rakhimov’s guidelines, didn’t favor for Timur. The room on Tsyurupa Street, 80 returned to the rightful owners and it was almost a symbolic act.

Salvation came whence it always had come. After resignation, not accompanied by political statements, Murtaza Rakhimov has reestablished acceptable relationship with the federal government. Moreover, the administrative apparatus of Bashkortostan has kept loyalty to him both as a private person and member of the board of directors of Bashneft. And in his new quality, Rakhimov managed to help Gizatullin once again. The Matrix was taken out of bankruptcy by a tranche from Uralsib Bank, which listened to the founder. The criminal cases begins to be closed.

Hardly a business empire of Timur Gizatullin can reborn in the same force. However, even now its commercial expansion has been already intensified. Now, it should be noted that in the legal field, more or less, criminal actions have become unnecessary risk. A project of combining Matrix and Lubimiy vkus (Favorite taste) Samara retail chain is being developed (Victor Tarkhov is not the mayor now, but a backlog created with his assistance continues to be used). However, according to analysts, it will be a merger of original “business losers”: the Matrix is in debts, while the Lubimiy vkus has a negative reputation in Samara consumer market.

But, according to available data, now negotiations are being held with Uralsib on the next loan in exchange for a share in the commercial capital of Gizatullin. Here again, for sure, the outcome will be determined by the position of Murtaza Rakhimov. It is necessary to understand that the “hidden raider” Gizatullin is one of those on whom the bai regime of Murtaza Gubaydullovich has been based for three historical eras. Of course, he is not the most important element of this system. But he cannot be left to the mercy of fate. At the right time they will be useful to each other.

 

REFERENCE Rumafia.com

For the first time mass-media wrote about Ural Rakhimov in 1997 because his father, the president of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov, instructed top-management of "Bashneft" to freeze export deliveries of oil. Thereby he hoped to increase loading of the large complex of oil refining factories located in republic with raw materials. The most interesting question in this situation is whether Bashkir oil-refiners were really low of raw materials. According to agency "InfoTEC", for 9 months of 1996 enterprises of Bashkir petrochemical company ("Bashneftechim") were loaded for about 60 % while on the average in Russia loading of oil-refining factories with raw materials was at level of 53 %. It suggested that the president’s decision, besides care about local ORF, had other motives. Speaking about the possible reasons of an interdiction of export, evil tongues hinted also at "family circumstances": vice-president and commercial director of "Bashneftechim" Ural Rakhimov — the son of the president. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 39 (1221) from 3/27/1997

In the summer of 2002 Ural Rakhimov came into the interest of mass-media in connection with the message that “Bashneft” – Russian Oil Company, the tenth on extraction volume — would replace the owner soon. The president of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov by special decrees resolved sale of shares of the large fuel and energy and petrochemical companies of this republic. Ural Rakhimov by that time already held serious positions in this market that is why the decrees of his father concerned him directly. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 150 (2519) from 8/23/2002

In 2002 there was an active information battle against Ural Rakhimov. Various sources actively discussed ostensibly non-conventional sexual orientation of Rakhimov Jr., and his possible drug addiction. They told even that Vice-president of LUKOIL, Ralif Safin rescued Ural Rakhimov from problems with police in one of the resort countries a few years before. The less scandal story was about a merge of "Bashneftechim" and "Tatneft" broken by the president’s son, and also about direct charges in his address that sounded in the beginning of 2003 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Taxes. 
Source: Magazine "Dengi" № 21 (426) from 6/2/2003

In January, 2003 Murtaza Rakhimov came to Moscow where he tried to solve issues on upholding all licenses for use of the bowels, given out by regional committee on geology (a year before Ministry for Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources raised the issue about necessity to renew the licenses which were given out by regional bodies) and the termination of interest of Russian supervising departments to Bashkir Fuel and Energy Complex. The matter is that already then, according to the Ministry of Taxes and Audit Chamber, by means of the firms registered in Baikonur, tax privileges were unreasonably used and taxes were underpaid into the federal budget. Having stood up for oil-refiners, Murtaza Rakhimov pursued a personal interest: his son Ural Rakhimov supervised Ufa oil-refinery factories united to "Bashneftechim”. However Rakhimov was made understand that there would not be any exceptions of the federal legislation. 
Source: Magazine "Vlast" № 3 (506) from 1/27/2003

A bit later it became known that the Moscow Regional Arbitration Court recognized contracts between the companies registered on Baikonur and nearby Bashkir ORF to be "insignificant". The court considered that the contracts had been conducted for the purpose of evasion from the taxation. According to this decision ORF should pay in the budget some billions rubles from unpaid excises in treasury and the VAT as well. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 47 (2650) from 3/20/2003

In May, 2003 "Bashneft" published structure of the board of directors which were elected on April, 28 at annual meeting of shareholders. The candidates nominated by the companies "Basic element" and Vostok Nafta did not get into it. After that it was possible to assert that "Bashneft" became the next object of unfriendly absorption by the Moscow structures. "Basic element", representing interests of "JukosSibneft", and Mezhprombank began struggle for it. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 80 (2683) from 5/13/2003

Next time journalists became interested in Ural Rakhimov in connection with preparation for presidential elections in Bashkiria. Then they paid attention to the statement of one of the candidates - the former managing director of Mezhprombank Sergey Veremeenko. He declared that he owned the materials proving that in republic the huge sums were monthly transferred “in wrong way” through "Bashneft". According to Sergey Veremeenko, the management of this company (son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov really supervised it, as well as Ufa ORF) delivered the extracted oil to Ufa oil refining factories located in the neighborhood not directly, but through 11 intermediary firms to which it monthly gave 500-670 thousand tones of oil at the price twice lower than the market price. As a result monthly loss of profit in the company made, according to the applicant, about $30 million 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 191 (2794) from 10/18/2003

In the beginning of 2005 mass-media for the first time started talking about the conflict between Ural Rakhimov and his father, President of Bashkiria - Murtaza Rakhimov. In particular, in February, 2005, acting at a private meeting of State Assembly of Bashkiria, the president of republic Murtaza Rakhimov declared that certain «deputies representing the fuel and energy complex», made an attempt to dismiss the speaker of parliament Konstantin Tolkachev. "Conspirators" were not named, but many members of parliament believed that the son of Bashkir President, Ural Rakhimov was the head of revolution attempt. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 33 (3117) from 2/25/2005

In some days after that the president of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov cancelled his own two-years-old permission for sale of shares of FEC enterprise’s company "Bashkir capital", supervised by his son Ural Rakhimov to Bashkir Fuel Company (BTK). Having signed the decree, the president charged the republic government to provide return of shares of OAO "Bashneft" and "Bashkirenergo" to BTK. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 36 (3120) from 3/2/2005

In April, 2005 in arbitration court of Bashkiria preliminary trial under the claim from the Ministry of property of Bashkiria Republic to OOO «Bashkir capital» (supervised by the son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov) about a recognition of the void transaction on sale of shares of OAO "Bashkirenergo" and OAO "Bashneft" took place.

In 2003 management of BTK (100 % of an authorized capital stock belongs to the state) made a combination in which result state blocks of shares of "Bashneft" (63,72 %) and "Bashkirenergo" (36,07 %), and also shares of UFA oil-refinery factories and OAO "Bashkirnefteproduct" entering into "Bashneftechim" became the property of OOO «Bashkir capital» supervised by Rakhimov-Jr. Before association of actives under jurisdiction of OOO «Bashkir capital» state blocks of shares of republic’s leading enterprises were resold to seven Open Companies: «Taimas», "Sotsservice", security enterprise "Board", АТP-99, "Neftechimtrans", "Chimspetstrans" and the enterprise of mechanization and oil refining transport. All of them belonged to physical persons. At the moment of a transfer neither BТК, nor "Bashneftechim" received money from new shareholders: profit «on paper» was generated because of increase in their debt receivable up to 13 billion rubles. In July, 2003 all Open Companies transferred the shares to OOO «Bashkir capital» as deposits. Later all shares in «Bashkir capital»were sold to seven companies above mentioned. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 63 (3147) from 4/9/2005

In the end of April, 2005 in Ufa annual meetings of shareholders of almost all enterprises of Bashkir FEC took place —"Bashneft", OAO "Bashkirenergo", OAO "Bashkirnefteproduct", Ufa and New-Ufa Oil-Refinery Factory, "Ufaneftechim" and "Ufaorgsintez". As the result of elections to boards of directors of the enterprises the son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov managed to keep control over the companies. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 75 (3159) from 4/27/2005

In the middle of May, 2005 the arbitration court of Bashkiria passed the decision under claims of the Ministry of Property of republic to the company «Bashkir capital» (BC) and to the private Open Companies participating in 2003 in privatization of state blocks of shares of Bashkir FEC. The court satisfied ministry claims about return of 63,72 % of shares of "Bashneft" and 32,07 % of OAO "Bashkirenergo" to the state OAO «Bashkir fuel company» (BTK).

After that they started talking about reconciliation between Ural Rakhimov and his father. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 87 (3171) from 5/17/2005, Newspaper "Kommersant" № 102 (3186) from 6/7/2005

The conflict between the president of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov and his son Ural, which led to scale repartition of the property in republic, ended up with signing of the amicable agreement. The Ministry of Property of Bashkiria declared that it withdrew an action about a recognition insignificant contracts on sale of share holdings of four Ufa ORF and OAO "Bashkirnefteproduct" which used to belong to the government of Bashkiria to OOO "Bashkir capital" (BC) controlled by to Ural Rakhimov. According to journalists, in exchange for control over Ufa ORF and "Bashkirnefteproduct", and also return of shares of "Bashneft" and "Bashkirenergo" extracted by court Mr Rakhimov-Jr agreed to pay in addition more than 13 billion rubles and refused political activity. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 105 (3189) from 6/10/2005

In September 2005, Bashkiria decided to liquidate the Bashkir Fuel Company (“BТК”) and the Bashkir Petrochemical Company (BPC) which kept actives of «Bashkir capital» (BC) of Ural Rakhimov at the height of his conflict to his father, the president of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 180 (3264) from 9/24/2005

In October, 2005 joint-stock financial corporation "Sistema" became the owner of a blocking share holding of three Bashkir enterprises — "Bashneft" (25 %), "Novoil" (28,17 %) and «Ufa ORF» (25,52 %). The total sum of transactions made $502.9 million in two companies — OAO "Ufaneftechim" and "Ufaorgsintez" — its share came to this level. All these acquisitions AFK made at OOO «Bashkir capital», supervised by the son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov.

The opinion was published that, having concluded the deal with "Sistema", Ural Rakhimov „ killed two birds with one stone“—deduced oil shares from a risk zone, created steadier proprietors’ structure at the enterprises, stopped old conversations on necessity to transfer Bashkir FEC under federal control, and personally for itself paved the way for the further exit from business in "cash" in case of political necessity. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 188 (3272) from 10/6/2005

Later president of AFK "Sistema" Vladimir Yevtushenkov declared that his company intended to increase the share in the enterprises of Bashkir FEC. As he said, if the owner of their controlling stocks — OOO «Bashkir capital» (BC) by the son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov — didn't want AFK to increase the share then "Sistema" would sell shares belonging to it. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 191 (3275) from 10/11/2005

In December Ural Rakhimov began to undertake serious actions so that occurrence of Yevtushenkov’s interests would not affect his interests in business. Ural Rakhimov tried to strengthen control at the enterprises before re-structuring of actives of BC which was planned to implement together with the second shareholder of the enterprises — AFK "Sistema". 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 244 (3328) from 12/27/2005

And in April, 2006 it became known that OOO "Bashkir Capital" (BC), supervised by Ural, transferred about 15 % of shares of Bashkir FEC (it was the basic shareholder of the latter) to the welfare fund "Agidel". In the afternoon the day before similar operation was made with welfare fund "Ural". The sources close to BC connected a reshuffle of actives with intentions of AFK "Sistema" to sell shares of Bashkir enterprises of "Rosneft" belonging to it that did not follow the plans of Ural Rakhimov. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 60 (3391) from 4/6/2006

In May, 2006 Ural Rakhimov became president of "Bashneft" — one of the key enterprises of Bashkir FEC. Apparently, changes in management of "Bashneft", as well as a transactions of shares of the Bashkiria FEC enterprises to the welfare funds and Open Companies, was an attempt of the republic authorities to protect its actives from absorption. Rakhimov's appointment occurred after the meeting of shareholders of the company, he was not among councilors of directors. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 92 (3423) from 5/25/2006

In the end of summer 2006, Ural Rakhimov appeared in the center of another criminal scandal.

The investigatory committee at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia informed that it accepted criminal case about swindle of which management of OAO "Bashkir petrochemical company" was suspected — structure, supervised by group of Ufa ORF till 2003. Ural Rakhimov was the Chairman of board of directors of "Bashneftechim". The case was connected with a damage caused for $26.3 million to Irish company Feyline Limited. Its representative in Russia was Yury Bushev, who was stolen a week before in Moscow suburbs.

According to police, in April and June, 1998 two contracts on delivery of large parties of oil products made in Ufa were concluded between Feyline and "Bashneftechim". Feyline transferred $177.3 million to "Bashneftechim", however OAO delivered oil products for the smaller sum ($151.2 million) and stopped deliveries in April, 2000. Police finds out where the difference in $26.3 million got to. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 149 (3480) from 8/15/2006

In the beginning of 2007 inspection of Federal tax service (FTS) on Ordzhonikidzevsky area of Ufa restored OOO «Bashkir capital» in the register of legal persons against the will of the founders liquidating the company. According to independent lawyers, liquidation of OOO should hide the intermediate stages of transactions on privatization of the enterprises Bashkir FEC and make them irreversible. Actions of tax specialists interfered with it. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 12 (3588) from 1/30/2007

In the summer of 2007 the arbitration court of Moscow satisfied four claims of tax specialists about collecting of 13-16 % of shares Bashkir FEC from OOO "Yuruzan-Invest" and OOO "Agidel-Invest". On December 3, 2007 the Ninth arbitration appeal court confirmed legality of decisions on first two cases with participation of "Yuruzan-Invest" and "Agidel-Invest". Decisions became valid that allowed to begin immediate withdrawing of share holdings of six enterprises of Bashkir FEC (for 26-32 %) from accounts of investment companies and their transfer into the account of Rosimushchestvo. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 20 (3837) from 2/8/2008

In the end of summer, 2007 mass-media started talking about possible participation of Ural of Rakhimov in murders of which the former senator Igor Izmestyev and members of Kingiseppskaya criminal group connected with him were accused. In Moscow City Court on trial of Kingiseppskaya group businessman Yury Bushev appended with an unexpected announcement. As he said, not only former senator from Bashkiria Igor Izmestyev who was on remand, but also the son of the president of Bashkiria Ural Rakhimov could be interested in murders of the former chief accountant of OAO "Bashneftechim" Valery Speransky and notary Galina Perepelkina. According to Mr Bushev, , in 2001 when both murders were made, Rakhimov had joint business with Mr Izmestyev.

Valery Speransky and Galina Perepelkina’s murders were made in 2001 with a difference in some months. It was during so-called Baikonur (through an offshore in Baikonur) operations executed by the heads of Ufa oil refining factories, supervised by Ural Rakhimov, and specially created firm "Korus-Baikonur" — branch of OOO "Korus-holding" which general director was Igor Izmestyev before he obtained a senatorial post 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 143/P (3719) from 8/13/2007

In February, 2008 execution of decisions on collecting of 13-16 % of shares of Bashkir FEC from OOO "Yuruzan-Invest" and OOO "Agidel-Invest" was suspended. It was made by Federal arbitration court of Moscow district by the Bashkir party’s will.

Lawyers considered that stay of execution of decisions testified to serious chances of Bashkir party to achieve cancellation of decisions on collecting of shares. It allowed experts to speak about activation of the negotiating process with participation of structures of OAO "Gazprom". 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 20 (3837) from 2/8/2008

A bit later the Investigatory committee at Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation changed the charge to the former senator from Bashkiria Igor Izmestyev from terrorism to attempt at murder. Under the version of police, the son of the president of Bashkiria, the general director of OAO "Bashneft“ Ural Rakhimov could become a victim of the senator.

It was a question about the car VAZ-2104 which was found full of explosive on September 27, 2003 - opposite to residence of Ural Rakhimov on Karl Marks Street in Ufa. During that moment in republic there was preparation for presidential elections in which the present head of republic Murtaza Rakhimov, ex-head of Mezhprombank Sergey Veremeenko, senators Ralif Safin and Igor Izmestyev, and also the deputy of the State Duma Alexander Arinin participated.

Police did not change the charge for one more incident with mined "Zhiguli" in Ufa as a result of which blasting in November, 2003 two security guards of Rakhimov-Jr were lost and two more got hurt. This episode remained the terrorism and murder action of which organization the ex-senator was accused. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 75 (3892) from 5/5/2008

In December, 2008 ex-senator of Bashkiria Igor Izmestyev and three more suspects on "Baikonur" case were given accusations in evasion from payment of taxes in the large size, «made by a group of persons on preliminary arrangement» (item 199 of the criminal code of Russian Federation. Police considered that in 2001 they were among those who organized evasion of Ufa and Novoufa ORF, and also OAO "Ufaneftechim" from payment of excises on oil products for eight billion rubles by fictitious rent of capacities of ORF by companies registered in an offshore zone Baikonur (Kazakhstan). Ideally, within the limits of this case charge should be given also to Ural Rakhimov, but it did not happen. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 223 (4040) from 12/6/2008

A bit later it became known that scale searches were made in the department for authorities’ protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bashkiria and OOO "Board", carrying out security of the son of the president of republic Ural Rakhimov. As the result of the searches the criminal case based on the signs of the crime according to point 2 item 222 of the criminal code of Russian Federation («illegal traffic of the weapon, ammunition and explosives») was brought. 
Source: Kommersant (Kazan) № 231 (4048) from 12/18/2008

In January, 2009 tax inspection declared refusal of claims about collecting of shares of six companies of Bashkir FEC in favor of the state.

"Sistema" already owning then block share holdings of six companies was interested in phase-out. In November, 2008 "Sistema" received these companies for management for three years, and its representatives didn't hide interest in share increase in the companies of Bashkir FEC. 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 13 (4068) from 1/27/2009

In April, 2009 Ural Rakhimov left a post of the general director of "Bashneft". The company’s Board of directors ahead of schedule stopped powers of Mr Rakhimov since April, 20th "on the basis of his personal statement". Nikolay Grakhantsev was appointed as the new general director of "Bashneft". Recently he was the first deputy of the general director of OAO "Sistema-invest". Change of the general director of "Bashneft" occurred after on April, 9th "Sistema" finished the transaction on acquisition of controlling interests of the oil enterprises of Bashkiria at OOO "Agidel-Invest", "Ural-Invest", "Inzer-Invest" and "Yuruzan-Invest". 
Source: Newspaper "Kommersant" № 73 (4128) from 4/23/2009

In July, 2010 deputies of State Assembly of Bashkiria Republic stopped powers of Ural of Rakhimov ahead of schedule after he had complied his personal request for it. 103 of 104 present members of parliament voted for the recall of the deputy mandate. Mr Rakhimov Jr. wasn't present at session. Experts differently treated motives of decision of Rakhimov-son, but unanimously connected it with forthcoming leaving of Rakhimov-father. 
Source: Kommersant (Ufa) № 122 (4420) from 7/9/2010

In July, 2010 the State Office of Public Prosecutor of Russia renewed investigation of the criminal case opened in 2003 upon illegal privatization of the enterprises of republican FEC. Management of the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation recognized as unreasonable and illegal the decision made earlier on the termination of investigation due to expiry of periods of limitations. Experts connected new interest of to seven-years-old event with desire of Moscow authorities to accelerate process of change of managing republican elite. 
Source: Kommersant (Ufa) № 124 (4422) from 7/13/2010

In some days the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev accepted prescheduled resignation of the head of Bashkiria Murtaza Rakhimov. Thus the head of the state awarded him with the order "For merits to Fatherland" of I degree. 
Source: www.newsru.com from 7/15/2010