Published: 30 November 2018

Specialized Oil-Loading Seaport Vitino captured by Russian security officials through hostage taking keeps on being a subject of carve-up and litigations by Russian and international companies.

The fate of Russian Specialized Oil-Loading Seaport Vitino located on the White Sea coast has been one of the most discussed Russia related topics in Great Britain for past months.

This case is accompanied with a chain of scandals and legal proceedings connected with a struggle for the port at the courts in Cyprus, Great Britain and Russia.

Co-owner of Vitino Seaport citizen of Kazakhstan Mr. Abliazov, known in Europe as enemy to the current government of Kazakhstan, struggles at the courts of European jurisdiction for one of Arctic basin’s largest terminals against his Russian ex-partners Maxim Pukhlikov and Sergey Sheklanov.

In February 2012, London’s Commercial Court adopted a decision to take into custody for the period of 22 months co-owner of the port, citizen of Kazakhstan Mr. Abliazov for the expressed contempt of court – for having refused to disclose his assets. Mister Abliazov appealed against the decision at the Supreme Court of London. Experts believe that the Commercial Court’s resolution may weaken the standing of Mr. Abliazov in his efforts for the Specialized Oil-Loading Seaport Vitino disputed at European courts.

However, the story of Vitino Seaport lies mush deeper. It dates back to the far year of 1993 that Russian businessman Zurab Musinyan made a bold venture to build Vitino Seaport in harsh environmental conditions of the north.

Specialized Oil-Loading Seaport Vitino successfully cooperated with Russian oil-producing companies, loaded and shipped 50-80-metric-ton tankers to Europe and North America. The port reached the peak of prosperity in 2005-2006. The port handled 4.76 million tons of oil products in 2006; the staff of over 1000 people received salaries in time, the trading volume reached USD 80 million a year, and capitalization – USD 400 mln. Ninety-seven percent of the port stocks was held by Zurab Musinyan.

That very time a story occurred, which laid the foundation of further events to become a subject of extended disputed and litigations at the courts in many countries.

The story began in Moscow. On a December day in 2005, Mister Musinian, the port owner, was approached on the street by officials of the Murmansk Regional Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia demanding making his property over to Alexander Mitrofanov (65 percent) and Dmitry Sorokin (32 percent), within a month. Upon his refusing to do so, FSB would initiate a criminal case on incitement to terrorism.

In April 2006, FSB searched Musinyan company headquarters. On 22 May 2006, Mister Musinyan was summoned for questioning in the city of Murmansk. An investigator at the Investigation Department of the Murmansk Regional Federal Security Service of Russia used to urge Mister Musinyan during the interrogation that he had to sign a document for making his company shares over, and all problems would be settled. Otherwise, Musinyan would have big problems, be charged with terrorism and imprisoned.

Mister Musinyan refused the investigator’s proposal to part with his business. On 22 May at 06:00 pm, he was seized and put into a one-man cell. At 08:00 pm, the official of Murmansk Regional FSB who had threatened harm entered the cell, handcuffed Musinyan to a prison bed, put a plastic bag on his head and demanded selling his company at a nominal price.

On 23 May, at 10:00 am, Mr. Musinyan was transported from the prison to the Head of the Investigation Department of the Murmansk Regional Federal Security Service of Russia, and the latter informed Musinyan that the prisoner’s daughter had been hijacked from a kindergarten, and allowed talking with her on the phone.

The Head of the Investigation Department of the Murmansk Regional Federal Security Service of Russia assured that upon Musinyan’s signing a sale agreement for 97 percent of shares of Specialized Seaport Vitino, at a nominal price of 97,000 rubles (appr. $3,000), whereas its market price was $400 mln, and the record of interrogation, Musinyan and his daughter would be released and his criminal case would be closed in near future.

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