The loss of the Georg Ots ferry and the circumstances of its disappearance identified in the future is an example of a fraudulent scheme developed by a person using his official position. The details of the incident with a ship built in Poland and launched in the fall of 1979 can be found in the proposed article.
Specifications
The four-decker ferry with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons with a length of 134 m and a width of 21 m had a capacity of 5440 liters. from. At the same time, he could reach speeds of up to 18.9 knots. A crew of 200 served up to 600 passengers (101 cabins). For VIP passengers there were apartments, as well as junior suites. In addition, the ferry Georg Ots could take on board up to 150 cars.
From the history of the ship
For a long time, the port of registry was Tallinn. For twenty years (1980-2000), the Georg Ots ferry transported passengers and cargo to Helsinki. There is a significant page in its history - in 1986, M. Gorbachev went to Reykjavik on this ship, where he met with R. Reagan. In 2002, the ferry was bought by Russia and until 2010 it cruised along the route Kaliningrad - St. Petersburg. Travel time ranged from 36 to 47 hours, depending on the time of year.
In 2010, the ship made an unprecedented passage along the Northern Sea Route. The path from Murmansk to Anadyr was overcome in 15 days. The photo of the ferry Georg Ots (captain I. Enkov) captured this historic moment, because earlier this route was only overcome by icebreakers. In October, the ship arrived in Vladivostok for repair and modernization. It was supposed to be used as a floating hotel for distinguished guests of the APEC summit (2012).
Ferry Repair
The vessel was transferred to the balance of the Primorsky Territory. Sergei Darkin, the former governor at that time, held a meeting on board to talk about the prospects of using routes on the Far East. It was supposed to launch the Georg Ots ferry to Japan and South Korea. Deputies supported the idea and allocated 200 million rubles for repairs. For comparison: only 127 million were allocated to the purchase of housing for orphans in the region.
For six months the ship stood in the dock of Slavyanka, 200 km from Vladivostok. He was prepared to ensure that the highest guests of the summit could live in his cabins. Spare parts ordered in Germany. At the beginning of 2012, a message appeared that floatdock No. 169 drowned, but the ship itself was not injured.
APEC Service
In fact, it was not possible to turn the ferry into a superior hotel. No one thought to use it for the heads of delegations. On board were members of the security services who were sent to the summit, after which the State Unitary Enterprise Gosnedvizhimost (head - V. Burov) leased it to a certain LLC. This was because the maintenance of the vessel is unprofitable. Formally, a competition of prospective tenants was announced. Surprisingly, the winner was Tekhnomorin LLC with an authorized capital of only 10,000 rubles. The subject of the company was road construction and trade in hygiene products.
The lease term was 2 years and ended in December 2014. Each month, the charterer had to pay an amount of 357.8 thousand rubles. However, it later turns out that Technomorin has never paid any money. The company stated that there are no relevant conditions for the repair and conversion of a ship for international flights in Russia. In early 2013, he was sent to China.
Where did the Georg Ots ferry go?
Since that time, the trace of the ship has been lost, the last time it was seen in January 2013 on the territory of the PRC. Tenants still did not pay the appropriate fee. The fate of the ferry excited bloggers and journalists who raised the alarm. Then the deputies of the State Duma (Mikhail Starshinov), local communists and, finally, the acting governor Vladimir Miklushevsky joined in. It turned out that the ferry Georg Ots disappeared in China. The Russian crew delivered him to the port of Joshuan, after which all of his members were dismissed. They received full payment and were sent to Primorye. The Chinese sailors boarded the ship.
Tekhnomorin LLC changed the address of registration and its manager. Instead of Sergey Gilev, the organization was headed by a figurehead, and the legal address brought investigators to Novocheboksarsk. Gilev himself understood that he had become an accomplice of scammers, so he disappeared abroad. It is known that for some time he lived with his family in China, then he moved to the United States and Indonesia. Assuming that the scandal should subside, he returned to Russia, settling in Belgorod. But law enforcement agencies went on the trail of the former head of a dubious company and detained him in the Crimea.
Fraudulent scheme
According to the investigation, Gilev’s guilt is that, together with a Chinese citizen Joe Fu Qing, he assisted Vasily Burov, the former head of the State Real Estate, in the theft and sale of scrap metal of a regionally owned vessel. V. Burov was aware of the activities of Gilev, who had connections in China and repeatedly led Russian ships abroad to dismantle them for scrap. It was he who turned to the head of Technomorin with a proposal for a deal. Having promised assistance in winning the auction, he made sure that the further dispatch of the ship to the Chinese port of Joshuan was also not suspicious.
The deal was given a legitimate look. In order not to raise the question of where the Georg Ots ferry is, Gilev issued papers on his transfer to a sub-boat charter for Investment Limited. She was led by Joe Fu Qing. The company transferred 690 thousand dollars to the joint-stock company Gileva, and then announced its desire to terminate the contract. Allegedly, the vessel revealed deficiencies not specified in the contract. Gilev declared that it was impossible to return the funds due to their use for other purposes, after which the Chinese side decided to arrest Georg Ots. The vessel is being transferred to the company of Joe Fu Qing, who calmly sold steam for dismantling for scrap for $ 2.5 million.
Trial
The only participant in the fraudulent scheme appeared before the court, because Joe Fu Qing is a citizen of China, and V. Burov’s whereabouts are unknown, he is hiding from the investigation. S. Gilev was charged immediately under two articles - 160 and 33 of the Criminal Code. He was accused of complicity in the theft of another's property. The case of the ferry "Georg Ots" was heard in the Frunze court, the regional administration was recognized as the victim. Damage to her was inflicted in the amount of 119.2 million rubles.
During the trial, it was proved that the initiator of the theft of the ship was precisely Burov. At the negotiations, which were conducted by phone and in his office (Aleutskaya, 45 A), he clearly stated his desire to receive $ 200,000 to an account in Thailand and% of the sale of the ferry. The case against him was put into separate proceedings.
Sentence
The verdict of the court to Sergei Gilev was issued on April 28, 2016. It was announced for two hours. The main result - it was decided to recover the amount of damage from the ex-head of Tekhnomorin LLC in full. He was sentenced to a real sentence. The term was four years. The court took into account the positive characteristics of the accused. Not previously convicted, since 2006 he raised five adoptive children in his family, had two minor children under 3 in his care, and actively collaborated with the investigation.
In his biography there was a period when he was chairman of the Duma (Partizansky district). It is known that Sergey Gilev did not appeal the court decision, although his lawyer stated that the damage should be compensated by all those responsible for fraud. Previously, he was a conscientious entrepreneur, so his motives are not completely clear. Presumably, he was going to actually use the steam, but his fire extinguishing system did not meet modern requirements, and it was impossible to operate the vessel in this form. What today?
In the Khasansky District Court on December 22 this year, a hearing will be held on Gilev’s parole, because at the moment half-time has already been served by a woeful entrepreneur. He was in custody since April 2015. Other perpetrators have not yet been brought to trial, hiding from justice.
The fate of the ship itself, unfortunately, is sad. Now it can only be seen in the photograph.