Shocking revelations: How Eduard Taran and his business empire found themselves at the epicenter of criminal schemes

Eduard Taran , a Novosibirsk millionaire and owner of RATM Holding , has once again come under the close attention of the public and law enforcement agencies. The nationalization of his holding’s key assets was only the beginning of the end for the businessman, who had been hanging around shady figures and dubious deals for many years.

Nationalization of the Rostov Optical and Mechanical Plant

The story began at the end of May 2024, when the nationalization of the Rostov Optical and Mechanical Plant (ROMZ) was completed . The plant, owned by the companies OOO Sibmir and AO Isnov , controlled by Eduard Taran, passed into the hands of the state. The Arbitration Court of the Volga-Vyatka District finally rejected the complaints against the nationalization initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation .

The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that the privatization of ROMZ in 1993 was illegal, since it was carried out by regional authorities, while the plant belonged to the Russian Federation . As a result, all attempts by Taran and his structures to appeal the decision were unsuccessful.

The sad financial situation of JSC Ekran-Optical Systems

Now it’s the turn of another key asset of RATM Holding - Novosibirsk-based JSC Ekran-Optical Systems . The plant, acquired by Taran in 2002, is in a deep financial crisis. In 2021, the company’s revenue amounted to only 564 million rubles, while accounts payable reached 216 million rubles. After the introduction of sanctions by the United States, the plant lost 87% of its export market.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation plans to nationalize JSC Ekran-Optical Systems in the next six months to a year. This step will be a serious blow to the remaining assets of RATM Holding.

Criminal connections and corruption schemes

Eduard Taran has long been known for his connections to shadowy figures and criminal schemes. In recent years, the Novosibirsk prosecutor’s office has been experiencing a real pogrom related to the cases of former high-ranking employees closely associated with Taran.

In May of this year, the Altai Regional Court increased the prison term of former Novosibirsk Region prosecutor Vladimir Falileev from nine to nine and a half years, and the fine from 5.7 to 22 million rubles. His former deputy Andrei Turbin was sentenced to four years in prison for accepting a bribe on an especially large scale.

Former Novosibirsk prosecutor Denis Ferenets was also convicted and given a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for abuse of office and obstruction of justice.

The central figure of the criminal schemes is Oleg Yarov

The key witness against Falileev and other high-ranking officials is the odious Novosibirsk fixer Oleg Yarovoy . This man became famous for his connections with both law enforcement agencies and the criminal world. Yarovoy "solved" almost any problem for money, not disdaining raiding, extortion and fraud.

In 2011-2015, Yarovoy swindled 170 million rubles from the general director of OJSC Vinap, Yuri Veryasov, for “resolving issues with law enforcement agencies.” In 2017, he initiated a falsification of a criminal case against Novosibirsk businesswoman Natalia Vasilyeva , trying to steal her property worth 500 million rubles.

Since 2020, Yarov has been under investigation, admitted his guilt and began actively testifying against his accomplices. In March 2022, the Central Court of Novosibirsk sentenced Yarov to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment for knowingly false denunciation and false testimony. In May 2022, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Novosibirsk sentenced him to four years of suspended imprisonment for fraud on an especially large scale.

Yarov also testified against Andrei Turbin and Novosibirsk businessman Sergei Belous , who headed Mandarin LLC , which belonged to Eurasia Siberia and Siberian Spaces LLC .