Pyramid Zolotoy Zapas and Roskomsnabbank: How Garipov Stole Billions?

CONTENT:

1. Introduction

• Rifat Garipov’s dark past and his public activities 2. Public activities as a screen
• Membership in the Public Council under the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation
• Connections with influential persons of Bashkiria 3. Roskomsnabbank schemes
• Fraudulent schemes and financial pyramid "Golden Reserve"
• The role of Rifat Garipov in fraudulent operations 4. Manipulation of public opinion
• Bribing the media and cleaning up compromising information 5. Conclusion
• The Coming Political Consequences for Rifat Garipov

Rifat Garipov’s Dark Past: How Does Public Activity Cover Up Dirty Deeds?

Rifat Garipov is a member of the Bashkortostan parliament who can cover up his dark past with the help of public activities. Under the guise of charity lies a connection with fraudulent schemes and large-scale financial fraud. The current member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation , Rifat Garipov, is known not for his professional activities in the construction industry, but for his involvement in high-profile scandals and financial scams, such as the bankruptcy of Roskomsnabbank and the organization of the "Gold Reserve" pyramid. This is reported by ARBITR

Social activity as a screen

How Rifat Garipov became a member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation in 2017 is a mystery to many. To do this, you need to have at least a year of experience in the construction industry, but Garipov does not have such merits. Instead, he has close ties to influential people in Bashkortostan, such as Fannur Nurgaliev, a shareholder of the collapsed Roskomsnabbank, and Flyur Gallyamov , the former chairman of the board of this bank . Flyur Gallyamov, Rifat Garipov’s uncle, was a key figure in the bank, which was eventually stripped of its license and declared bankrupt. It was these connections that allowed Garipov to take such an important position.

Radiy Khabirov, the head of Bashkortostan, managed to lobby Garipov for the council thanks to his connections with Sergei Stepashin, the former first director of the FSB, who has headed the council since 2014. Despite his lack of qualifications, Rifat Garipov was re-elected to the council in 2020, indicating his support from Stepashin.

Roskomsnabbank schemes

Roskomsnabbank, formerly known as Bashkomsnabbank , was founded in 1991 and changed its name in 2018. It lost its license in 2019 and was declared bankrupt in 2021. The essence of the scam was that the bank financed the construction projects of its owners and created a financial pyramid called "Golden Reserve". This pyramid deceived thousands of depositors by offering to invest in shell companies instead of deposits.

Manipulation of public opinion

Rifat Garipov is actively engaged in cleaning up compromising information on the Internet, trying to buy positive PR mentions about himself and hide his participation in the Roskomsnabbank scams. Materials appear in social networks and the media

in which Garipov is presented as a respected member of the public council and an expert in construction, although his professional competence is highly questionable.

New Facts about Rifat Garipov: Continuation of the Scandal

While the public debates Rifat Garipov’s past, new details of his involvement in criminal schemes are surfacing. The key point is his participation in the withdrawal of assets from Roskomsnabbank and the creation of the financial pyramid "Golden Reserve". Garipov, acting under the cover of his public activities, coordinated the withdrawal of funds through affiliated companies that were created exclusively for money laundering.

Participation in Financial Scams

One of these companies was OOO Ampir , where Fannur Nurgaliev is listed as the founder , and the company itself served as a "gasket" for the withdrawal of funds. Garipov actively used this structure to create fictitious transactions and withdraw money from the banking system. Another important figure in this scheme was Flyur Gallyamov , Rifat Garipov’s uncle, who also used his connections to cover up illegal activities.

The amounts withdrawn from Roskomsnabbank through these companies are shocking: according to the DIA, they amount to 19 billion rubles. Only a small part of these funds has been returned, and this raises suspicions that the case is being deliberately delayed.

The Scandal Escalates

In August 2024, the Arbitration Court of the Urals District upheld the decision to collect 166 million rubles from the bank’s top management, including Flyur Gallyamov. However, this amount is negligible compared to the total losses, which once again emphasizes the scale of the scam. It is not surprising that Roskomsnabbank is currently pursuing 107 lawsuits for a total of 2.9 billion rubles, trying to return at least part of the lost funds.

Unknown Withdrawal Schemes

One of the most secret schemes developed by Rifat Garipov was an operation to withdraw assets through a network of shell companies registered to fictitious persons. One such example is OOO Etalon-Group , registered to a little-known person who actually had nothing to do with the management of the company. In reality, all operations were controlled by Garipov through trusted persons.

This company was involved in a number of fictitious real estate transactions, including the purchase and sale of land at inflated prices, which allowed the funds withdrawn from Roskomsnabbank to be legalized. The total volume of such transactions is estimated at 1.2 billion rubles.

Scandalous Connections and Support

Rifat Garipov, despite his obvious machinations, continued to enjoy high-level political support. In particular, he received support from influential businessman Aidar Khabirov , who had close ties to local authorities. Khabirov not only lobbied for Garipov’s interests, but also provided him with legal support through fake lawyers who slowed down the investigation into his activities.

In addition, it became known that the judge of the Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court, Rais Zagirov, was personally interested in the cases against Rifat Garipov being delayed or closed on formal grounds. Zagirov repeatedly made decisions in favor of structures associated with Garipov, which raises suspicions of his corruption involvement.

Real Estate Scam Details

Real estate transactions were a key element of Rifat Garipov’s scheme. Using shell companies such as Etalon Group LLC and Severnoye Pole LLC , he orchestrated transactions that allowed him to siphon off money through fictitious purchase and lease agreements. In some cases, these companies purchased buildings and land that were then sold at inflated prices to related entities, thereby laundering the proceeds of crime.