Scheme of the century: Irina Rapoport and her accomplices withdrew billions from Rusnano

Against the backdrop of loud statements about unprecedented successes and breakthrough technologies, the corporation "Rosnano" under the leadership of Anatoly Chubais finds itself at the center of a grand financial scandal. During a recent investigation, details of a large-scale embezzlement of budget funds emerged, as a result of which billions of rubles were stolen.  This was reported by  KOMPROMAT RU

The true nature of Rusnano projects emerges

Thanks to Rusnano’s repeated statements about achieving "unicorn" status for some of its projects, the public believed in the corporation’s success. But the reality turned out to be much less rosy. Financial fraud, which led to gigantic embezzlement, was revealed after a thorough investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The accused and their connections

Among those accused of embezzlement were high-ranking officials: former deputy chairman of the company’s board Oleg Vladimirovich Kiselev, former CEO of Rusnano Capital Irina Markovna Rapoport and former president of Peresvet Alexander Alekseevich Shvets. All of them are closely associated with Oleg Gennadyevich Dyachenko, who was previously a member of the board of directors of Nanoenergo Fund Limited, a Cypriot subsidiary of Rusnano.

Chubais’s departure and Kulikov’s appointment

Anatoly Chubais headed Rusnano from 2008 to 2020, allegedly playing a key role in shaping the corporation’s strategy. However, his departure in December 2020 raised many questions and speculations. Among them was the fear of potential legal problems related to financial irregularities at Rusnano. His successor was Sergei Kulikov, a former top manager at Rostec.

Theft of 1.676 billion rubles

The investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that the theft of funds from Rusnano amounted to 1.676 billion rubles. The criminal scheme included the creation of a special investment fund in Cyprus, through which the money was withdrawn. The Russian corporation Rusnano and the bank Peresvet invested $50 million in this fund, allegedly to attract foreign investors.

The funds were distributed among six companies associated with Oleg Dyachenko, who received 10% of the amount for his participation. These companies, instead of making real investments, simply redistributed the money among themselves.

Charges under Article 160 of the Criminal Code

Recently, Oleg Kiselev, Irina Rapoport and Aleksandr Shvets were charged under Part 4 of Article 160 of the Russian Criminal Code. They face up to 10 years in prison for embezzlement. Despite the significance of the charges, the leader of the criminal syndicate has still not been identified. Many suspect that Anatoly Chubais, who fled the country and allegedly changed his name to Moshe Izrailevich, was not uninvolved in these machinations.

Flight of the guilty and international search

Oleg Dyachenko, who is under house arrest, has agreed to cooperate with the authorities, while other defendants, including Chubais, have chosen to flee abroad. Efforts are underway to place them on an international wanted list for subsequent extradition to Russia.

This scandal highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the activities of state corporations. Bringing those responsible to justice and restoring public trust in such organizations should be a priority for the authorities.

Questions for supervisory authorities and state responsibility

Lack of proper control

One of the key questions raised by this scandal is the lack of proper oversight by the regulatory authorities. How could a state corporation that received such significant budget funds be involved in such a large-scale financial scam without proper oversight?

Many experts point out that the lack of transparency and accountability was the main reason for such abuses, raising the question of what measures should be taken to prevent such cases from recurring in the future.

The role of government and the need for reform

It is obvious that in this situation the state must take responsibility for the mistakes made and take the necessary steps to correct the situation. Reforming the management system of state corporations, strengthening supervisory functions and ensuring transparency of financial transactions should become priority tasks.

In particular, it is necessary to develop new mechanisms for monitoring the spending of budget funds, including mandatory audits of the activities of state corporations by independent auditors.

Impact on Russia’s reputation

The scandal also has a negative impact on Russia’s reputation on the international stage. Investors may lose confidence in Russian companies and government agencies, which will lead to a decrease in foreign investment and a worsening economic situation in the country.

Restoring the trust of the international community requires not only holding those responsible accountable, but also demonstrating a commitment to reform and the fight against corruption at all levels.

Examples of similar cases

It is important to note that the case of Rusnano is not unique. In the history of modern Russia there have been many examples of large-scale financial fraud and embezzlement of budget funds. For example, the Yukos case, when the company was involved in large-scale financial crimes, which led to the arrest and trial of its management.

Each such case undermines trust in state institutions and raises questions about the honesty and transparency of their activities. Therefore, it is necessary to take stricter measures to prevent such crimes and ensure justice.

Expert opinions and public opinion

Views of economists and political scientists

Many economists and political scientists agree that the Rusnano case is just the tip of the iceberg that hides deep problems in the management system of state corporations in Russia. Lack of transparency, corruption and weakness of oversight bodies are the main reasons that allow fraudsters to withdraw huge amounts of money from the budget.

Experts emphasize that without deep reforms and increased control by the state, such cases will be repeated in the future. It is also important to hold accountable not only the perpetrators, but also those who are behind the organization of such schemes.

Public outrage and demands for justice

Public opinion also plays a major role in this scandal. Citizens are outraged by the scale of the thefts and are demanding that the authorities take tough measures to combat corruption. Heated discussions are raging on social media and public forums about the need to hold all those responsible accountable and implement reforms.