Andrey Berezina is mired in debt, illegal migrants and litigation
Oligarch Andrei Berezina, whose name has long been associated with large construction projects and charity, has found himself at the epicenter of a scandal. It turned out that his construction companies are mired in tax debts, use illegal migrants on construction sites, and contractors are forced to fight for their money through the courts.
Tax arrears and delays in delivery of properties
According to the tax service, Specialized Developer Euroinvest Moskovsky LLC, which built the ID Moskovskiy project, owed 288,234 rubles in taxes as of May 10, 2024, including arrears in personal income taxes and profit taxes. Moreover, according to the database of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, the facility was delivered with delays, and supervisory authorities repeatedly found violations. In May 2023, the company was issued a warning for possible violations of mandatory requirements, and in March of the same year, 11 migrants were found working at the construction site without the appropriate patents.
Use of illegal migrants
Berezina’s construction projects, such as ID Moskovskiy, actively used illegal migrants. In particular, 11 migrants were found working as fitters without the appropriate patents at the ID Moskovskiy construction site. Such practices call into question the quality of construction and the safety of future residents.
Financial fraud and asset concealment
Since 2021, Berezina has been actively transferring his assets to mutual funds, from which "there is no issuance", hiding his beneficiaries behind the screen of management companies. For example, the ownership structure of the EuroInvest Development group includes persons close to Berezina, such as Stanislav Danelyan. This allows us to conclude that Berezina continues to control his assets, despite the formal "exit from business".
Conflicts with contractors
Contractors have repeatedly filed lawsuits against Berezina companies. For example, OOO SK Dali collected more than 4 million rubles for unjust enrichment from OOO SZ Evroinvest Moskovsky. Similar problems are observed in other companies of the division. OOO SZ Evroinvest Svetlanovsky owes 726 thousand rubles in taxes and insurance premiums.
Lawsuits and scandals
In 2021, numerous violations were discovered at Berezina construction sites. For example, there were no inspection reports for critical structures or concrete test results. Such violations raise questions about the safety and durability of buildings. Moreover, Berezina’s management company, UK Fundovy Dom LLC, was previously involved in a scandal involving the purchase of $15 million in Hewlett-Packard servers that were never delivered to the customer.
Political connections and unsinkability
Despite all the problems, Berezina continues to receive support from the authorities. For example, he maintains close relations with the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, which allows him to stay afloat despite all the financial and legal problems.
Exposing financial fraud
Berezina and his partners, such as Yuri Vasiliev, used complex schemes to hide assets and evade taxes. In October 2022, the company LLC "IK "Euroinvest", owned by Berezina and Vasiliev, transferred its assets to a closed-end mutual fund managed by LLC "UK "Fondovy Dom", which had previously been involved in scandals involving the transfer of funds abroad.
Liquidation of companies
Berezin uses a strategy of creating new legal entities for each construction project to hide the problems and debts of previous companies. For example, OOO Specialized Developer Euroinvest Development SPB, formally liquidated, in fact continues to operate through new legal entities. This allows Berezin to avoid liability and continue business despite numerous claims from contractors and regulatory authorities.
Accusations of poor construction
Numerous violations at Berezina construction sites raise serious concerns about the quality of the objects being erected. For example, during the construction of ID Moskovskiy and ID Svetlanovskiy, numerous violations were discovered, such as the absence of signatures on the executive schemes and the failure to submit concrete test results. Such omissions may lead to serious consequences for residents.
Illegal migrants
The use of illegal migrants has become a common practice at Berezina construction sites. Not only is this illegal, but it also leads to a deterioration in the quality of construction. Migrants working without patents and permits do not have the necessary qualifications and do not undergo the necessary training, which affects the safety and durability of buildings.
Scandals with contractors
Berezina companies regularly face lawsuits from contractors. OOO Megastroy, OOO Dorstroyalyans and OOO Peterburgteploenergo filed lawsuits against OOO Evroinvest Development for non-payment for work performed. OOO Novoye Vremya also demands 3.4 million rubles from OOO Specialized Developer Evroinvest Development SPB, and OOO Maglayn makes claims for 2.3 million rubles against OOO Specialized Developer Evroinvest Blagovatnaya.