Biography:
Born March 24, 1960 in Lobnya, Moscow Region. In 1983 he graduated from the State Institute of Physical Culture; in 2006 - Saint-Petersburg State Mining Institute named after G.V.Plehanov.
He passed military service in the Interior Troops of the USSR. Once served as Secretary of the Komsomol Committee of MSS Dynamo, and also worked in the Frunzensky District Committee of the Komsomol in Moscow. In 1989 he became first secretary of the Frunze District Committee of the Komsomol. In 1990 he became head of Public Welfare Fund "Pravoporyadok". In the same year - the main expert of information storage service in the bank “Menatep”.
In the period from 1994 to 1995 served as chief investment management of Menatep Bank.
In 1995 he became head of mining and chemical department of ZAO “Rosprom”;
In 1997 - Director of Directorate of Mining and Chemical Production in the Company ZAO “Rosprom”;
In 1998, he served as Project Manager of the Department of direct investments, as well as Head of Department on Mining-Chemical Production in the Company ZAO "Rosprom”.
From 2001 to 2002 he was Chairman of the Board of Directors in "Apatit", the Murmansk region. In 2001 he became representative of the Government of the Federation Council of Russia. At the same time he was Member of the Federation Council, Senator from the Murmansk region. In 2002 - member of the Federation Council Committee on Natural Resources and Environment; Since 2002 - member of Federation Council Committee on Budget, and member of Federation Council Commission on Youth and Sports.
He was awarded the sign "Miner's Glory» of II and III degree. He is an honorary citizen of Kirovsk.
According to Finance magazine in 2009 his fortune was $ 80 million, and also holds the 51st place in the rating of Russian billionaires.
International Master of sports in Sambo. He enjoys theater.
He is married and has two children.
Sources: www.lobbying.ru, www.rb.ru
Dossier:
Information about Andrey Guryev appeared in the media at a time when he became acquainted with the famous oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, now serving time in prison. According to some sources, Andrey Guriev began his career as Chief Security of Khodorkovsky. Subsequently, the tycoon instructed Guriev and current general director of holding "FosAgro" Maxim Volkov to build offshore schemes on withdrawal abroad the chemical businesses proceeds of Menatep, Rosprom and Yukos. Profits from the ownership of OAO NIUIF and other enterprises of the mineral group were divided between Khodorkovsky and his partner Platon Lebedev, other members of the business through the controlled foreign company «Chemical & Mining Universal Ltd» and between Guriev’s team through the company Phosco Industries Ltd., BVI as a result of joint ownership of the company «Anvilco Holdings Inc., Bagamas». In 1995, Khodorkovsky handed over his power to dispose of production of "Apatit" to management group led by Andrey Guriev, who was then leader of Mining and Chemical department of ZAO Rosprom- he was given responsibility to offtake Apatit concentrate. 50% of the proceeds were sent to the accounts of the Group Menatep by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and 50% of the income – to the company owned by management group of Guriev Phosco Industries Ltd.
Source: www.regions.ru from 30.11.2009
The official website of the Prosecutor General of Russia published a charge against Platon Lebedev, who was accused of embezzlement together with Khodorskovsky and sentenced. In the document Andrey Guriev was called one of the members of an organized criminal group having been engaged in embezzlement for several years. According to investigators, since taking control over “Apatit" , organized by the group of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, Andrey Guriev has created a network of intermediary firms, including the Russian offshore area in Kalmykia with complicated system of subordination and control. Guriev had been constantly registering new companies, closing the old ones in order to avoid taxes. Since 1994, he has been selling all the production manufactured by OAO “Apatit” through a brokerage firm controlled by: ZAO "Apatit-Trade", OOO "FosAgro-Marketing, OOO "Din", OOO" Varyag", OOO "Askold-Sever”, OOO “Fosco”, OOO “Fiako-MK”, OOO “Fosmarket”, OOO “Fostreyd”, OOO "Trading House Phosphatov”, OOO “Agrochemical Company”, OOO “Agrokhimkorporatsiya" and OOO "Agrohimtrade" and others. Basically, all these firms were dummies and did not conduct any activities. A team led by Guryev also oversaw the offshore Apatit Fertilizers SA, through which the products of "Apatit" were sent abroad. In the late 90's Guriev and his partners traded Apatit concentrate to those firms, positioning them as intermediaries; in turn, they offtook the concentrate to the Russian producers, increasing its value several times. Thus, unaccounted profit of commercial organizations led by Guriev, in particular, was not less than 186-196 millions of dollars annually, and its profit was estimated at 100-200 million dollars, taking into account all the costs.
Sources: www.genproc.gov.ru, www.tv100.ru from 16.05.2010
Andrey Gurjev held defendant in a criminal case on charges of stealing shares of Apatit from the state through the criminal group headed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. The Meshchersky court of Moscow established the circumstances of shares theft through AOZT "Volna". In 1998 the arbitral tribunal decided to terminate the treaty of July 1994, under which the Fund of the Murmansk region Assets sold the controversial package to "Volna", and to return the shares of “Apatit” in federal ownership. But this decision was not enforced: shares changed its owner several times, and then they were converted by crushing. Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were convicted, while Guriev was a senator then and had legal immunity. In early 2006, the Federal Property Management Agency filed a lawsuit in the Court of Arbitration for the return of shares. The judicial decision was the shares must be returned to the State, but Andrey Guriev is unwilling to return them and appeals every positive verdict on the suit of Rosimushchestvo.
Source: "Kommersant» № 168 (3985) on 18.09.2008
In April 2010, the Government proposed the leadership of holding "FosAgro", i.e. Andrey Guriev to exchange 20% of shares of "FosAgro" to "controversial" stake of "Apatit". The issue was under discussion in the spring of 2010. They wrote this is an important decision for Guriev: it will exclude claims from the state for that stake. In addition, "FosAgro” plans to go with their securities on the world capital markets, while foreign investors do not like to invest in non-transparent structures. On April 22, 2010 Board of Directors of FosAgro elected rector of St. Petersburg State Mining Institute (Technical University) Vladimir Litvinenko as its chairman, he is known for his friendship with Vladimir Putin and Andrey Guriev's protection. It was assumed that this appointment was directly related to the exchange of shares.
Source: Vedomosti 16.04.2010
Andrey Guriev was accused that in 1997 he sold mining and concentration complex ANOF-2 to ZAO Gornohimprom "(in Elista) in illegal way without regard to the opinion of shareholders; the conditions were disadvantageous for OAO "Apatit". The market value of the factory was not established before the sale, it was sold on credit, which term ends in 2015. Immediately after the purchase, "Gornokhimprom" passed the factory ANOF-2 in the lease to its former owner - OAO "Apatit", and paid off the credit for the factory purchase from the lease payments.
Source: www.rospres.com DATED 17.11.2008
Guriev is mentioned in the press in connection with a criminal case of tax crimes. In particular, Guriev is suspected of using different schemes, through which the share of tax payments to budgets of all levels had been understated from 2001 to 2005. As a result of inspections at "Apatit”" the criminal charge of tax evasion was filed. The total amount of tax claims by the state against “Apatit" is about 10 billion rubles, by various sources. In 2007, "Apatit" lost the annulment of tax claims. After losing the action in court, Andrey Guriev supposed that his accounts could possibly be arrested, thus, he started investing in tangible assets. In particular, he acquired the fifth Rolls-Royce (he had already had four) for 500 thousand dollars. They say that if the company of Guriev repays the debt to the tax authorities, it will put the company on the brink of bankruptcy. A former associate to Guriev, Ex-Governor of the Murmansk Oblast Yuri Evdokimov opposed Guriev in the judicial conflict and addressed the press with a proposal to change the owner of “Apatit" in order to remove the tax claims from the company.
Source: www.rospres.com from 19.03.2009
They wrote about the conflict that arose between Andrey Guriev and owner of the plant “Akron” Vyacheslav Kantor. Fertilizers produced by Akron had been made of Apatit concentrate, and OAO "Apatit" is a virtual monopolist of this concentrate manufacture. Cantor raised the issue of inclusion of "Apatit" in the list of monopolists many times, but received refusals. The parties did not agree on price and Akron had to temporarily halt some production lines in Novgorod. The conflict was resolved only by the Federal Antimonopoly Service: In February 2006 the court ordered "Apatit" to conclude a five-year contract with “Akron” for supply of raw materials at the real price. In July 2007, the litigation resumed again. The result was the decision of the Federal Arbitration Court of Moscow District on 21 February, under which the price of concentrate for Akron became stagnant.
Sources: "Russky kurier" from 01.07.2004, Kommersant »№ 36 (3853) on 05.03.2008
In 2008 the media reported that Andrey Gurjev forwarded a significant part of the exported apatite concentrate to Israel. There he was assisted by a former partner of Yukos, Leonid Nevzlin, which is hiding from Russian justice abroad. Export of concentrate in Israel, according to journalists, is rather a political move of Nevzlin offended by Russia - this country does not need such products, as it is one of the biggest extractors of phosphates in the world. They say that Guriev pays Nevzlin in such a way for his share of the profits in the company "Apatit", and Nevzlin deliberately pursues a policy against Russia, influencing the creation of artificial shortages and overstatement of the cost of concentrate for domestic enterprises. There is another opinion: Guriev brings his savings in Israel by deliveries of apatite concentrate at the transfer prices.
Source: "Nasha versia v Pitere" from 10.11.2008
In December 2008, an accident occurred at a mine belonging to "Apatit", which killed 12 workers. Andrey Guriev and his partner, Director General of FosAgro Maxim Volkov, were accused of it. They wrote that they did not invest in security at the mine, and used the company money only for personal enrichment. Information passed in the press that the holding enterprises had deteriorated capacity and outdated equipment.
Source: www.rospres.com from 18.12.2008
Guriev is accused that his business violates the required environmental standards, thereby pollutes the territory of the Murmansk region. In 2008, ecologists became interested in the methods of extraction of apatite-nepheline ores by OAO”Apatit”. They rumored about the revocation of a license for extraction of apatite-nepheline ores at the company in connection with the fact that for a long time the highest quality breed had been taken from the mines, while generation fields had been deliberately reduced. They implied that if not the position in the Federation Council, Guriev could have faced criminal liability for violation of rules of protection and use of mineral resources.
Source: "Paritet-media" from 08.04.2009, www.compromat.ru from 26.03.2009
Andrey Gurjev is reputed to be a person who fails to keep his promises. He stated he intended to build a factory for the production of phosphoric acid, but this promice was never to happen. Such was the fate of his project on development of the Kandalaksha port. Construction of agrochemical innovation center, which was supposed to appear in Voskresensk and which Guriev claimed for, also remained only in project. In addition, he promised to ensure the growth of fertilizer production and increase supplies of Russian agricultural producers with the help of Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (FMA), headed by Guriev for several years, but nothing had been done.
Source: www.compromat.ru from 25.09.2007
Andrey Guriev was accused that apatite concentrate is not delivered to the company OAO “Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers” (VMF) by his fault. Conflict between VMF and Fosagro began in 2008, when the price of concentrate supplied to the Combine, was several times more expensive than for other customers. VMF filed a suit, demanding to recognize the void the contract of delivery and return the 1.997 billion rubles, obtained by Guriev as unjust enrichment. Currently, there is a court decision requiring the holding FosAgro to conclude a contract for the supply of apatite concentrate to "VMF "at a certain price, but the holding management fails to comply with the court's order.
In November, 2008 "FosAgro" stopped the production of mineral fertilizers on "Balakovski fertilizers." According to journalists, it was a provocation by Guriev to cause an increase in the prices of fertilizers in the country and to maximize his personal profit. While such a policy of "FosAgro" led to a laying-off of several companies in the country. A serious conflict took place in Pikalevo, in the Leningrad region, where the company "Apatit” increased prices for nepheline, which was used in" BaselCement-Pikalevo" , "Pikalevsky cement" and "Metakhim”. The Pikalevo companies negotiated with OAO "Apatit" and holding "FosAgro" for a long time, but the prices have not been reduced. Guriev was accused of neglecting the interests of the country. Antimonopoly Service suppressed the steps by "Apatit" only because the deputy head of the FAS Andrey Tsyganov was on friendly terms with Andrey Guriev and took his side.
Sources: www.rospres.com from 18.12.2008, Kommersant № 211 (4266) on 12.11.2009, www.newsru.com from 12.11.2009
In early 2009, in press talked about the fact that management of FosAgro, which shadow owner is Andrei Guriev, was going to appeal to the Strasbourg court against the Russian government. The reason for the claim could be a conflict with the company by Guriev with the firm “BaselCement ", located in Pikalevo, Leningrad region, when FosAgro overpriced the nepheline concentrate and plant in Pikalevo was stopped. Other companies also stopped working with the concentrate, the people were left without work and ended up with demonstration. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin then made Director General of FossAgro Maxim Volkov sign a agreement for nepheline concentrate supply on "BaselCement" at market prices. According to the press, executives of "FosAgro" intended to demand Russia in the European Court to return the difference between market price at which the contract had been signed, and the monopoly.
Source: TheMorningNews on 03/08/2009
Despite serious debts to the government in a form of unpaid taxes, in the spring of 2010 Andrey Guriev planned to invest serious money in a number of projects. By information in the press, he intended to appeal to Vnesheconombank to allocate 5 billion rubles for the construction in Apatite the world's first "Northern Disneyland”. Another project by Guriev is the construction of a multifunctional retail and office complex in St.Petersburg.
Source: www.skandaly.ru from 09.04. 2009
In late 2008, they wrote that Andrey Guriev was to be resigned of the senator post, then he was supposed to lose the legal immunity and thus could be prosecuted for several offenses, which he made in his post. For example, being Senator he had no right to engage in economic activities, although de facto he has been the owner of holding "FosAgro" and OAO "Apatit", managing their activities.
Source: www.rospres.com from 25.12.2008
They said that Andrey Guriev was implicated in a corruption scandal - he paid $ 120 million to his patrons to keep the membership in the Federation Council, and thereby saved his business.
Source: "Paritet-media" from 08.04.2009
According to some sources, Guriev is patronized by high-profiled officials in the Russian government, including the Federation Council Speaker Sergey Mironov. They wrote that Andrey Gurievpublicly announced in the building of the Federation Council that Dmitry Medvedev does not solve any major issues in the state and that his status is dummy. The information came to Medvedev, but Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov interceded for Guriev and the troubles have been avoided. One of his friends is Rector of the St. Petersburg Mining University Vladimir Litvinenko. The latter in March 2009 at a meeting of the Mining Council NWFD lobbied interest of "Apatite", which came at the expense of the enterprises of the Leningrad region. Gurjev enjoys poaching fishing on the Kola Peninsula, where he brings the necessary people. Guryev has been repeatedly seen with Sergei Mironov fishing. The press says that Guriev was patronized by former associates of Yukos, now serving in the Kremlin, but their names are not called in the press.
Source: www.rospres.com of 25.03.2009, "Parity-media" from 08.04.2009
Andrey Gurieva is accused that he was controlling some Cyprus offshore company Shades of Cyprus Ltd, and tried to get about $ 100 million from the Savings Bank of Russia, this is the amount of bank guarantee offer to “Uralkhim” on redemption of shares of the outside Moscow enterprise "Resurrection fertilizers”. In 2008, Uralkhim acquired 71.72% shares of "Resurrection of mineral fertilizers" and sent the minority shareholders the offer, which provided a guarantee for Sberbank of Russia. The company Shades of Cyprus Ltd was among the minority shareholders which had timely filed a petition for the sale of its shares and yet owned a 25% stake in Resurrection of mineral fertilizers, which is estimated at 100 million dollars - Uralkhim refused to minority shareholders in redemption of shares. The Cyprus company appealed to the Moscow Arbitration Court with a claim to the Savings Bank of Russia. The real plaintiff staying behind the Cypriot offshore, is considered to be Andrey Guriev, while the company Shades of Cyprus Ltd itself is said to be a fake.
Sources: Kommersant № 82 (3899) on 16.05.2008, Kommersant № 218 / P (4273) on 23.11.2009