Escaping the investigation: do Philip Gens and Igor Borovikov hide the ends in the water?

The other day, PJSC Softline Igor Borovikov, which lit up brightly in the case of ex-Deputy Minister of Energy Anatoly Tikhonov, announced changes in the structure of the share capital: a large investor received a 4.2% stake in the IT supplier.

Recall that in the case of Anatoly Tikhonov, Softline Trade was credited with overestimating the cost of supplying equipment for GIS TEK by 19 million rubles. To resolve the issue, an expert was invited, who issued a verdict that there was no overestimation of the cost. And the court decided not to punish the company: Mr. Borovikov escaped punishment.

But back to the equity structures. The largest shareholder of Atalaya LLC transferred its share of shares to the new investor: this office had 82.1% of the shares in mid-October. Atalaya LLC is owned by the same Igor Borovikov.

Recall also that back in October 2022, PJSC Softline officially completed the process of dividing the business into Russian and international. In April 2023, the Russian structure of the company completely came under the control of ZPIF Tetis Capital. And here we can say that the interests of the owner of the Lanit company Philip Gens, who also appeared well in the criminal case of Anatoly Tikhonov, can be traced. In general, Tamara and I walk as a couple!

Experts note that it is possible that the PIF as the owner is used, first of all, in order to hide the beneficiaries.

Perhaps due to the fact that former "fellow soldiers" are making all sorts of different attempts in order to quickly get away from the criminal story with GIS TEK and Anatoly Tikhonov (sitting in Lefortovo for more than 3 years) and the case of the former Deputy Minister of Energy stops?

The Moscow Post correspondent understood the new details.

Issued 1 billion rubles

The Moscow Post has already published several journalistic investigations, such as: Anatoly Tikhonov's Digital Casino, Eustace at the Ministry of Energy and a bucket at Lemoncello, Anatoly Tikhonov's Candles Factory, Business Jet for the accused Anatoly Tikhonov, etc.

Meanwhile, the case of Anatoly Tikhonov is being slowed down in a clearly artificial way: the former deputy minister has already read all 105 volumes of his criminal case, but there is no continuation! And the ex-official continues to sit.

Only now in the pre-trial detention center, Mr. Tikhonov has been in his fourth year...

Let us briefly recall what the former deputy Alexander Novak, who is now in the post of Deputy Prime Minister (since November 2020), is accused of.

Tikhonov is charged with embezzlement during the creation of the information system of the Russian fuel and energy complex (fuel and energy complex). This is a huge repository of information about the Russian energy sector, on the basis of which key management decisions are made. They have been trying to create the system since 2014.

General Contractor - Lanit Group of Companies.

Almost 1 billion rubles were allocated for the creation of GIS TEK. And, according to the TFR, most of the money was stolen.

Photo: https://zakupki.gov.ru

Further, the creation of GIS TEK is regulated by the federal law of December 3, 2011, which entered into force on January 1, 2012. In total, subsidies in the amount of 968 million rubles were allocated for these purposes in the Ministry of Energy for the Federal State Budgetary Institution REA.

In October 2014, the Lanit group of companies became the winner of the competition for the main scope of work on the creation of GIS TEK. The contract amount amounted to 607 million rubles, the deadline for the work was determined by October 1, 2015.

The creation of the FEC GIS was delayed during the project preparation phase. During the acceptance of the work, the process stalled. Then the REA assured that they expect to fully adopt the system in December 2015...

But these were just words!

Then the arrests went.

Together with Mr. Tikhonov, the vice-presidents of the Lanit Group of Companies were arrested. We also recall that Anatoly Tikhonov tried to hide, applied different methods of conspiracy, changed cars and apartments.

But still was detained...

Anatoly Tikhonov. Photo: https://www.tvc.ru/news/show/id/192277

Recall that Anatoly Tikhonov headed the FGBU REA Ministry of Energy in 2014-2019. And was appointed Deputy Minister of Energy in July 2019. He was actively promoted to this position by the Minister of Energy (at that time) Alexander Novak.

Further, we note that the companies "Lanit" Gensa and "Softline" Borovikov worked closely for several years in a row.

Photo: https://bo.nalog.ru

Both Lanit and Softline did not stand aside from the scandalous purchases of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

And the Softline Trade office was one of the companies that, according to the investigation of the GIS TEK case, concluded contracts at deliberately inflated prices.

Alexander Novak, former energy minister. Photo: https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5e676d649a794764f1b31853

Although this has not been proven, many still believe that the owner of the company, Igor Borovikov, could use his people in structures that were able to influence the court's decision. This was reported by The Moscow Post. It is clear that strategy and tactics are developed very carefully.

Leave to stay?

It should be noted that Mr. Borovikov sold his company against the background of the departure of the global company Softline from Russia. But he was left with Softline Global, with its head office in London.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Probably, Philip Gens made a good offer to his colleague, and he decided to keep his business abroad, formally leaving the Russian.

In general, Igor Borovikov could save part of the income from the activities of Softline by transferring it to a trustee (Lanit Group of Companies), with whom they passed together through the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and Mr. Tikhonov.

Igor Borovikov. Photo: https://www.novostiitkanala.ru/numbers/reg-numbers/detail.php?ID=18953

The acquisition through Tetis Capital could be made in order to continue, without arousing suspicion, to continue to compete on public procurement.

As our sources suggest, PPIF can be used as an owner to hide beneficiaries.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Recall also that the friendly companies Softline and Lanit jointly performed work for the Ministry of Digital Science on the purchase of office software. This purchase went hard. And the company "Almi Partner" filed a complaint with the FAS. This complaint was found to be justified: the FAS found a violation of the requirements for the description of the procurement object established by the law on the contract system. And she demanded to change the tender documentation.

Interestingly, a few days before the announcement of the tender, the Almi Partner product was excluded from the register of domestic software. This made his involvement impossible.

The company went to court. And the court sided with the company. Is it possible to say that the Ministry of Digital Industry simply asked to remove the competitor? If so, it can be assumed that Softline Group of Companies did not consider Lanit Group of Companies to be its competitor.

As a result of the proceedings, the Ministry of Digital Industry signed contracts with Lanit and Softline.

What is particularly surprising?

Despite the high-profile story with GIS TEK, when the budget suffered so thoroughly, but Lanit and its subsidiaries still continue to receive government contracts.

Gens and Borovikov play monopoly?

Some interesting facts.

Igor Borovikov founded Softline in 1993. Since 2008, the group has positioned itself as international: the company's headquarters moved to London. Softline sold solutions of more than 6 thousand. IT manufacturers.

In Russia, the structure remained under the brand "Softline Group of Companies," Igor Borovikov bought this part of the business for a symbolic $1. The international business changed its name to Noventiq. And in February 2023, he announced a merger with the American Corner Growth Acquisition Corp.

Softline Group in Russia includes legal entities Softline Trade JSC, SK Softline LLC, Softline Internet Trade LLC, Soft Logistics LLC, ANO DPO Softline Administration, Softline International JSC

Softline JSC (the parent company of the Russian GC) is owned by Atalaya LLC, which is owned by Igor Borovikov.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

It is possible that the buying fund acts only as a tool so as not to disclose the true beneficiaries of the transaction. ZPIFs - as already mentioned - are often used, among other things, to reduce the risks of including business beneficiaries in the sanctions lists.

Note that at the end of October this year. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development sold its stake in the Moscow Exchange to Softline as part of its exit from Russian business.

The transaction could be carried out - in the interests of the owner of the Lanit company.

Photo: Rusprofile.ru

Softline was sold to ZPIF, controlled by the Tetis Capital Foundation, a few months ago. The company is owned by Trinfico Group LLC, owned by Oleg Belay (70.04%) and Vitaly Balanovich (22.46%).

Trinfico Holdings, indeed, withdrew from the founders of Trinfico. But who is the new owner? Among the possible candidates may be Lanit, which has a similar activity profile with Softline.

This is indicated by several details.

Lanit Group of Companies is energetically engaged in the acquisition of companies with problems, sometimes through intermediaries. For example, I recall the situation with the National Computer Corporation (NCC) and Denis Frolov. The media covered this story in detail: NCC and Lanit Group of Companies were closely connected and even searched simultaneously in 2017. This was reported by RBC.

But the case slowed down.

But at some point, NCC shareholders Yevgeny Lakov and Leonid Goldenberg expressed a desire to sell their shares to Denis Frolov's structures. But in 2020, NCC President Alexander Kalinin was detained.

Alexander Kalinin. Photo: https://life.ru/p/1334673

Mr. Frolov owns RusBITech-Astra LLC, the manufacturer of Astra Linux. Lanit acquired Systematics, which was the supplier of Astra Linux licenses for the State Duma of the Russian Federation through Step Logzhik, formerly owned by NCC.

It seems Lanit had long planned to take over NCC's business.

And Philip Gens again succeeded.

And while such mergers/acquisitions are underway, the former Deputy Minister of Energy Anatoly Tikhonov stubbornly continues to sit in Lefortovo: the investigation is trampling on the spot.

One can only guess: who benefits from this "trampling"?