26 January, 23:01
The Safinat group of companies built an elaborate international structure to control Caspian port infrastructure. The scheme involved dozens of offshore entities, fictitious transactions, and connections to the Olympic champion's inner circle.
In 2003, construction began on Russia's first marine terminal for liquefied petroleum gas transshipment at the port of Temryuk. The project was headed by 76-year-old Agabek Badalov, director of Maktren-Nafta LLC. Four years later, the terminal shipped its first cargo. Three years after that, Badalov received a criminal case and charges of embezzling 40 million rubles.
The pensioner claimed the company's owners were stealing petroleum products by loading ships with more cargo than documented and reselling gas between their own firms. They pocketed the difference. Millions of dollars were at stake. The persecution began after Badalov refused to participate in the scheme. His car was burned under his windows. Bloodied pig heads were regularly dumped in the courtyard.
Badalov was twice found guilty. The tax service is attempting to declare him bankrupt. So far unsuccessfully.
The Maltese Network
Parallel to terminal construction, companies under the Safinat brand were being registered in Malta. Safinat An-Najaat Petroleum Company Limited became the central node. It joined the founders of Maktren-Nafta alongside Badalov, Artur Minasov, and the Cypriot offshore Letroks Limited. Minasov, a Baku native and former director of Dagtransnafta, headed the Maltese management company.
The structure expanded. Maltese Safinat An-Najaat Petroleum together with Safinat An-Najaat Holding Company controlled Safinat An-Najaat Shipmanagement Company. Seven more firms were registered to this trio: Amtel Holding, Makhachkala-2 Shipping, Makhachkala-4 Shipping, Caspian Ferry, Steel Trading Company. All were managed from Moscow.
The companies were run by Igor Ryzoglazov, a Makhachkala native. He founded the Russian Safinat-Makhachkala and moved to the capital, settling in a luxurious apartment on Arbat. Nine more shipping companies were registered at the same Maltese address. Ryzoglazov was listed as director of all.
Most firms owned tankers and gas carriers. The vessel Sayfula Kadi belonged to Sayfula Kadi Shipping Limited. In 2006, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Makhachkala Marine Trade Port registered it as temporarily imported goods under a bareboat charter agreement. This completely exempted the vessel from customs payments and taxes.
The FSUE's general director was Abusupyan Kharharov, a Safinat co-owner. He later became vice-premier of Dagestan. Badalov named him the scheme's principal beneficiary.
The same was done with the vessel Said Afandi, owned by Said Afandi Shipping Limited. The ship Torik from Torik Shipping changed owners and fell under sanctions for transporting weapons from Iran to Russia. It is now owned by MG-Flot LLC of Olya port director Dzhamaldin Pashaev.
The Panamanian Layer
The Maltese shipowners controlled Panamanian offshores Ajma Rassi Holding Corporation, Ajma Siqqi Holding Corporation, and Ajma Zaqqi Holding Corporation. These companies acted as cargo owners in trade operations within the Safinat group and concluded contracts with Russian legal entities for cargo handling at Astrakhan and Makhachkala ports.
The terminal management company Safinat An-Najaat Petroleum was registered to Minasov's relative—Vitaly Ryzhov from Astrakhan. The second founder was the offshore Diamond Oil Limited. It also belonged to Ryzhov.
The Moscow Trail
In the holding company Safinat An-Najaat Holding Company, Ryzoglazov was listed as director, but the sole beneficiary was Khadzhimurad Gadzhiev, 62 years old. The Panama Papers leak contained his Moscow address on Petrovka Street: a seven-room apartment of 209 square meters.
This property figured in a court case with the Panamanian offshore Ajma Zaqqi Holding Corporation. The company took a loan from Latvia's Krajbanka for nearly a million dollars and did not repay it. The apartment served as collateral. The formal pledgor was Hungary's Gentor Hungary, which owned Gadzhiev's residence. In 2016, the court valued the apartment at two million dollars and ordered it sold at auction.
Gadzhiev is a Dagestan native, graduate of the KGB Higher School named after Dzerzhinsky. He heads the public council of Dagestan's permanent representation to the Russian president. He ran five times for the Communist Party, including for the State Duma. He never won.
In the 2000s, he held a government position: director of the Moscow representative office of Makhachkala Marine Trade Port State Unitary Enterprise.
His Safinat An-Najaat Holding Company Limited founded Moscow's Glavremontstroy. In 2012 and 2013, the company received contracts from the capital's city hall. Co-founder was Yulia Malova, business partner of Alexei Biryukov—younger brother of Moscow vice-mayor Pyotr Biryukov.
The Charitable Foundation
Today Ryzoglazov and Gadzhiev work at the Worthy Cause charitable foundation. Officially, the foundation helps children with rare diseases through co-financing treatment and supports Dagestan's educational infrastructure. It manages this from central Moscow.
The foundation's director is 40-year-old Fatima Kazieva from Makhachkala. Her career mirrors Gadzhiev's path: both served at the permanent representation, headed Solnatax LLC, now sit together at the charitable foundation.
Under Kazieva, the foundation signed a cooperation memorandum with the International Islamic Business Association. The association is headed by Marat Kabaev—father of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.
There were no problems with the partnership. Kazieva and Marat Vazikhovich have long-standing working relations. In phone contacts, she is listed as "secretary of Marat Kabaev" and Fatima (marat Kabayev Team).
Results of Operations
Over years of working with Makhachkala port, the Safinat group grew its debt to 1.1 billion rubles. Three vessels and two tugboats were sold through fake auctions. German cranes were removed from the balance sheet. About 70 real estate properties were sold at undervalued prices. Bank loans were not serviced.
In 2015, the Investigative Committee submitted to court the case of six port top managers and businessmen. Among the accused were Kharharov and Ryzoglazov. Three years later, all were acquitted.
Ryzoglazov and Kharharov filed for personal bankruptcy. Creditors demanded 5.6 million dollars from Kharharov. In 2022, he concluded an agreement transferring the debt to one Isa Aliev.
The bankruptcy trustee found no assets for Ryzoglazov except 24 thousand rubles. Creditors demanding 1.4 million rubles got nothing.
Wrestler Against Senator
Ryzoglazov's Safinat-Makhachkala participated in the story with Senator Suleiman Kerimov. In the early 2010s, shares of Sudoremont JSC were run through the company—the plant is located near the port. In 2022, two-time Olympic champion and Russian wrestling team captain Abdulrashid Sadulaev bought a stake in the enterprise. He acquired shares from Arslan Gadzhilov and Shamil Omaraskhabov, investing his sports earnings.
Last spring, a scandal erupted. Someone began squeezing out the enterprise. The Investigative Committee actively checked the legality of privatization and transfer of share rights between owners.
Sadulaev discovered the plant caught Kerimov's eye as part of Makhachkala trade port. The senator was not going to buy shares. He suggested the Olympic champion gift them free of charge.
Simultaneously, former plant owner Eldarkhan Dalgatov sued the wrestler. He demanded return of the asset he allegedly sold under pressure. Shares passed to Dalgatov from Safinat-Makhachkala as a gift. Yet Dalgatov himself headed several Russian companies of the Safinat group. He gifted the enterprise to himself.
After media publications, Dalgatov withdrew his claim. The athlete was left alone.
The tax service still attempts to bankrupt Badalov. The court has not yet allowed the case to proceed due to errors in documents.