Partial victory

The Arbitration Court of Dagestan has partially satisfied the claim obscure Cypriot company Arolia Holdings Limited, which is trying to recover from Makhachkala Commercial Seaport 678.18 million rubles., According to the Court's website. The decision was made on Wednesday, 31 August. The court ordered the port to pay only 156 million rubles., Said RBC assistant to the general director of the enterprise Alikber Abdulgamidov. This amount is comparable with the net profit of the company, which at the end of last year amounted to 161.5 million rubles. on revenue of RUB 657,440,000. (Data "SPARK-Interfax").

Debt Makhachkala port to the Savings Bank was formed as far back as 2008-2009, when the former head of the port Abusupyanov Harharove (Kharkharov resigned in September 2010), he told RBC Abdulgamidov. According to him, the loan is secured "cranes, ships and other property." In 2013, the Savings Bank ceded rights to the credit of the Cyprus Arolia Holdings Limited. A source close to Sberbank, said earlier RBC, at that time, including interest debt estimated "about 600 million rubles.". Bank sold it because the loan is not obslcoexisted. As follows from the Kirov District Court (the Court also addressed a similar argument), as collateral for the loan is four gantry cranes and two ship - "Dagestan" and "Ali Aliyev." As security has also been provided with equipment of the grain terminal.

Abdulgamidov did not specify how it was possible to reduce the amount of claims more than four times, but acknowledged that "it is necessary to pay the debts." Port satisfied with the decision of the court, but has not yet decided whether to challenge him, the decision text has not yet been done.

With Arolia Holdings representative could not be reached.

Export channel

Makhachkala port - the only ice-free port on the Caspian Sea. Its share in the Russian market is small: the total volume of cargo turnover in 2015 (676.7 million tonnes), only 3.8 million tons were handled in Makhachkala, including oil and oil products - 3.4 million tons (Data Port News). But through this port transshipped oil produced Russian, Turkmen and Kazakh companies in the Caspian Sea, which then is exported by pipeline Makhachkala - Hovorossiysk, says development director of Port News Nadezhda Malysheva: "This explains why such a struggle for the port: the owner will be able to influence the regional oil exports."

And there are prospects for the port. In late April, the then general director of the port Ahmad Hajiyev said that the port is ready to resume the ferry service with Iran after the lifting of sanctions and has already prepared the equipment for reception of up to 200 reefer containers per month. According to him, the capacity of the port of Makhachkala is 11.4 million tons per year, of which crude oil and petroleum products -. 7.9 million tonnes of grain port terminal capacity is 0.5 million tonnes per year, he added. Removing sanctions against Iran intensified shipping, can be increased transshipment of oil and other commodities, acknowledges Malyshev.

It is known that since the mid-2000s, the port is trying to take control of Suleiman Kerimov, a major philanthropist and investor Dagestan. enterprise privatization was postponed for several years: it still FSUE run by the Agency for Marine and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot). However, the port can actually be controlled through the General Director: whoseit is headed by the candidate, and he gains control of the enterprise. Since September 2010, the port managed Ahmad Hajiyev, who was considered a man Karimov (he is the brother another Kerimov, a State Duma deputy Magomed Hajiyev -. RBC). However, in late May 2016, when the expired term of office, Rosmorrechflot held a contest and appointed a new leader - Andrei Gormaha, which is considered a protege Ziyavudin Magomedov, in 2013 joined the struggle for influence in the country and, in particular, for control of the port .

Gorm in 2013-2015 worked as a deputy director general of the United Grain Company, controlled by the group "Amount" Magomedov. "Amount", which together with the "Transneft" controls Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port (between Makhachkala and Novorossiysk laid main line), has repeatedly stated its interest in Mahachkalinckomu port and even going to build a new terminal there. "Amount" and now "sees great potential for the development of the port" and is ready to consider the possibility of buying, if the state will put it on the say, said RBC's representative. The situation with the court decision on the lawsuit Arolia he would not comment.

In late May, the team Makhachkala port took in arms the appointment of new CEO Andrew Gormaha, defended his former leader Akhmed Gadzhiev. The union leaders have gone on strike and wrote a letter to the administration of the president, alleging incompetence Gormaha and threatened to boycott the elections to the State Duma. At work the new chief did not hit. People Kerimov, probably managed to keep control of the port, because the purpose of Gormaha actually took place, says the chief editor of the site "Caucasian policy" Beslan Uspanov. By itself, the port of Makhachkala, as an asset, which is now in decline, not so interesting structures Magomedov and Kerimov, as the struggle for influence over the republic, he said. The winner is likely to mark their superiority in Dagestan, suggests the expert. The economic component in the fight for the port is not available, managing partner agrees InfraNews Alexey Bezborodov.

Rosmorrechflot decision on the appointment of a new geneDirector challenged another applicant for this position - Magomed Kantaev. Who is behind it, is unknown, but his claim is clearly played into the hands of the former head of the port Hajiyev: at his request May 30 Chechnya Gudermes city court took the provisional measures and seized the edition of the order on the appointment of the new head of the port. Moreover, the Prosecutor General's Office on June 9 revealed irregularities in the conduct of this competition and requested the head of Vladimir Rosmorrechflot Olersky eliminate violations. But the agency will defend the decision on the new chief of Makhachkala port using "all legal instruments," said RBC's representative. Elected CEO of the company is Gorm, the question of the re-competition is not being considered, she said.

Hope for hire

Ahmad Hajiyev previously reached a verbal agreement with the lender (Arolia Holdings) restructuring of the loan, according to Abdulgamidov. But after trying the appointment to the company Gormaha creditor may, for fear of default port agreements, aboutbrother in court, he suggests. Now the port is not able to pay off the debt of 156 million rubles., So his leadership will negotiate with the lender to defer payments and drafting the repayment schedule debt, RBC through the press service of acting Port director general Murad Hidirov.

But if the port is not able to pay off debt and to agree on the installment plan, the port property (except berths and assets that may only be in state ownership) can be sold at auction in bankruptcy or enforcement proceedings, warns a federal official familiar with the situation. At the same time the responsibility of the port property is not subject to alienation to private property, so the activities of the company will not be stopped, he stressed the interlocutor of the agency sea transport.

According to a source in the republican government, Arolia in 2013 bought up the debt Sberbank with 50 percent discount (bank representative is not commenting). According to him, the company has "a long time" made no attempt to recover the debt. A revitalization etc.The action of the creditor, he explains the appearance of a conflict situation around the port and the prospect of a change of its leadership.

"This is very similar to the classical scheme of the 1990s, when seized enterprises: taking out a bank loan secured by the property, then it outbid Cyprus offshore and began to claim the property, - says the employee of one of the largest shippers port. - The initiators of this action remain in the big plus: they and property, and the company they can buy at bargain prices as part of bankruptcy proceedings. "

According to the Cypriot registry, 100% Arolia Holdings owns Fort Partners SA, registered in the British Virgin Islands. With representatives of the two companies could not be reached. But, according to the files of arbitration in Moscow and Dagestan vessels in 2012-2013 Arolia Holdings involved in the bankruptcy of another company Dagestan - "Dagestan Airlines", besides having bought the requirements of one of the creditors.

Arolia Holdings is affiliated with the "Nafta Moskva" Kerimov said RBC source in the Dagestan government and employee and one confirmedthe largest port shippers. RBC request directed to the reception Kerimov, remained unanswered.

Third side

President of Dagestan Ramazan Abdullatipov said in an interview with RBC on 11 July that he supports the speedy privatization of the port to be handed over to the investor, to offer the best development program. "Instead, I secretly began to port from one group of influence to transfer to another group of influence. What's that mean? This means that we bring the conflict in Dagestan, because of the influence of each group are 300-500 people, "- complained Abdullatipov.

He threatened that if "two groups of Dagestani" (Kerimov structure and Magomedov) will not stop the confrontation, the port would go to a third party: "I do believe that we need to develop the port of a third person, and we are already negotiating with certain people" . Later it became known that this active interest in the ex-owner of the Cherkizovsky market Telman Ismailov. According to the Dagestani media, now it is in talks with the leadership of the republic on behalf of the Turkish Yildirim Group Holding Inc, toupnogo operator in the field of shipbuilding, upgrading of port facilities and logistics for organizing the maritime trade. However, this is not representative of Abdulatipova commented, it is only noted that "the negotiations are in the final stage and will soon Ramazan Gadzhimuradovich announce his decision."