Biography:
Andrey Kozitsyn was born in Upper Pizhma (Sverdlovsk Oblas) on June, 9, 1960. He is a graduate. At the time he graduated from a college in Sverdlovsk, where he studied mining and metallurgy. After college he entered the Iron and Steel Institute, after which received a diploma. Later he became a candidate of sciences.
In 1979, Kozitsyn went to work an electrical mechanic in the company Uralelectromed. In the same company in 1995, he took the CEO post. Subsequently Kozitsyn headed the company until 2002.
In 1999, Andrey Kozitsyn attained duties as Director General of Mining and Metallurgical organization, and in a few years, and then he appointed Director General at that time already a very large company UMSC-Holding (Ural Mining and Smelting Company).
Currently, Andrey Kozitsyn is the head of the Enterprises Union of metallurgical industry association of the Sverdlovsk region, as well as - a member of the Association of Russian Metallurgists (member of the presidium). Simultaneously, Andrey Kozitsyn serves as Chairman of the Committee of the Russian Metallurgical Chamber of Commerce.
Andrey Kozitsyn is not only a great industrialist, but also a well-known philanthropist. He heads a charitable organization "Children of Russia" and controls all the charity financial transactions. For his charity activity, as well as for participation in the construction of church facilities Kozitsyn was awarded the honorary award - the Order of the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow of the third degree, the Holy Apostolic Grand Prince Vladimir of the third degree, and Sergey Radonezhsky Order of the third degree.
Also Kozitsyn was awarded the prestigious decoration - "Akinfiy Demidov" - which the billionaire was awarded from the newly revived Demidovsky International Fund.
Source: www.peoples.ru
Dossier:
In 1995 Kozitsyn became the CEO of Uralelektromed (UEM). This was preceded by a hard struggle for the plant. Volkhin Alexander also claimed on the control of the UEM, the CEO of the Kyshtym Copper Electrolyte Plant (KCEP). He was supported by Moscow in the person of Viktor Khristenko, Vice Premier in economics, who was also a native of Chelyabinsk. Kozitsyn did not have such connections then. Volkhin began the fight with buying from Menatep the shares of science project institute Unipromed, which was in the trust of UEM - The Institute has a unique database of industrial enterprises in the Urals. Kozitsyn did not enjoy that. He began to strengthen his positions through taking shares of Kirovograd Cooper Smelting plant for beneficial ownership; it had belonged to Menatep; and aimed to the Svyatogor plant. Kozitsyn managed to acquire OAO “Svyatogor” in 1997. First, Svyatogor transferred its shares in the management of "Roscontract", to protect itself, but after the default the organization was no longer valid, and Kozitsyn acquired “Svyatogor”. In the end, Kozitsyn still managed to become the CEO of UEM. And then, together with Iskander Makhmudov, Kozitsyn again got to windward of Volkhin : in 1996 he lobbied a law banning the export of crude copper from the Sverdlovsk region. This made KCEP cut off its suppliers. The income of Volkhin got declined.
The alliance of Mahmudov and Kozitsyn entrenched in 1999 when they established the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMSC). Makhmudov became president of the company, and Kozitsyn became the CEO. In the same year, the company attained the status of the holding.
Volkhin realized that he had lost to Kozitsyn, and tried to build a holding out of KMEC, "Karabashmed”, mines and MPPs. But he did not have enough money.
Meanwhile, UMSC increased its power, and in May 2001 announced the consolidation of 56% shares of KCEP.
Source: “Sliyaniya i Poglosheniya", № 4 06.2003
In 2000 Kozitsyn gained a strong position in the Ministry of Interior through the head of the local criminal police of the Sverdlovsk region, Anatoly Abrosimov, who at the same time became the Director General on Affairs of UMSC. After his death, the connection was performed through the MIA officers - Vorotnikov and Absolyamov. Over the years MIA has become a unit of UMSC. Its staff was receiving the second salary in the UMSC, and when retired went to work to the security services of the holding company. In reply, they initiated a criminal case on the competitors and turned a blind eye to crime, and also participated in the seizure of enterprises.
Source: Kompromat.ru of 04.03.2005
In 2000, the media got a receipt, in which Kozitsyn acknowledges he had received money from the company "Blonde" in the person of Iskander Makhmudov (850,000 dollars) for the election campaign of the governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, Eduard Rossel. Kozitsyn himself assured that the signature in the documents was fabricated. The firm "Blonde" is the nominal owner of Uralelektromed, which shares belonged to Kozitsyn and Mahmudov.
Source: Novaya Gazeta on 22.05.2000
A bright page in Kozitsyn’s biography was a seizure of the Kachkanarsky MPC "Vanadiy" - the only company mining iron vanadium ore. There was a period of decline in the history of the company, when the chairman of the board of directors was Paul Fedulov - Ural oligarch, deputy of the regional Legislative Session. Using machinations, he made MPC bankrupt. At the time Fedulov was arrested and served a sentence, and during this period shareholders managed to revive the company. But after Feduleev died, he wanted to restore the old regime. To do so he turned to the corrupt local governor Rossel, whose "right hand" was Kozitsyn. Rossel made sure that all the good companies within the industry were concentrated in the hands of Kozitsyn. He did it in the off chance that Kozitsyn, as his successor would give a part of that power to Rossel in case he replaced him in the post of governor.
After meeting the governor Feduleev made the shares of two mills over to Kozitsyn: Nizhny Tagil Metallurgical Plant and Kachkanarsky MPC. Thus, Feduleev made a deal with the governor, which gave him freedom of action in his own interests, and Kozitsyn got 19% in Kachakanarsky MPC.
Newly acquired package was not controlling and that prevented Kozitsyn from putting his person as the head of the company. At the time Kozitsyn was opposed by team managers of the company, headed by Jalol Haydarov.
Therefore Kozitsyn decided to act simply: in January 2000 he committed the capture Kachkanarsky MPC through shooting and with the participation of law enforcement officers. The next day Kozitsyn declared he was the new director. Feduleev settled together with him at the plant.
To retain power, Kozitsyn decides not to allow the shareholders meeting happen. To do so the police roadblocks were exhibited around the city and stopped the incoming managers. At the request of Kozitsyn, the head of Kachkanarsky administration - Suhomlin issued a decree according to which other cities locals could not enter into the city, as well as the meetings of foreigners were prohibited (on the case shareholders entered and had a meeting).
The next step was making the company bankrupt, thus, by law the shareholders lost their right to vote. For this purpose Kozitsyn took credit of 15 million dollars in the bank "Moscow Business World", and released MPC notes under the loan. He invested the money in his company “Svyatogor”, and supposedly gave those bills to Svyatogor. In fact, the bills were concentrated in a small fictitious company, which immediately filed them to MPC for 100 % payment. After that, the company declared MPC bankrupt, and it turned out to have 90% of the votes at a meeting of creditors.
In the same way Kozitsyn seized Enterprise Khimmash in September - first by an armed raid, and then by making it bankrupt. Also, Serov Metallurgical Plant was captured.
Source: Novaya Gazeta on 25.09.2000
The fight between Kozitsyn and Mahmudov for Karabashsky Copper Smelting Plant (KCSP) was as loud; the latter was president of UMSC. The seizure was carried out by the company Uralelektromed, a subsidiary of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). Capture of KCSP was needed to stop Kyshtym Copper Electrolyte Plant (KCEP), which CEO was Alexander Volkhin - the only competitor of UMSC. Therefore, it was necessary to deprive it of its raw materials. The sole supplier of the plant was ZAO “Karabashmed". A KCSP owned a large stake in Karabashmed. Therefore, the seizure of the KCSP was an attempt to gain control over KCEP.
Source: "Versiya" from 19.06.2001
In May 2001, UEM announced the consolidation of 56% shares of KMC. Then Kozitsyn proposed Volkhin to convert Karabashmed under blister copper, and to guarantee supplies of raw materials, but thus Volkhin would be deprived of precious metals melting, and so he refused. KMC was declared bankrupt by non-payment in the budget. At the meeting of the Arbitral Tribunal UMSC’s lawyers provided the bank charges, confirming that the UEM had paid off the debts to KCSP . But the judge still ruled monitoring in the company.
From 2001 to 2003 there had been more than 100 arbitration processes - a real judicial war started. UMSC won all of them except for the one left without consideration. Companies managed also to get the property of "Karabashmed".
In response Volkhin declared "Karabashmed" bankrupt, which retained his control over the combine. In its turn, UMSC initiated the process to recognize the bankruptcy intentional.
Source: Sliyaniya i Poglosheniya", № 4 06.2003
Then Kozitsyn told the press that he had decided "to withdraw from the conflict in a civilized manner" by exchanging 75% of the KCSP for 15% of shares of UMSC-Holding, owned by Igor Altushkin. Altushkin continued the business of UMSC, and negotiated the purchase of KMEP’s shares.
Source: "Kommersant” № 113 (2716) on 02.07.2003
The deal was a step towards consolidation of assets and division of the business of former partners - Kozitsyn and Altushkin. Altushkin registered the holding “Russian Copper Company”, which included Kyshtym Copper Electrolyte Plant (KCEP), "Karabashmed", Novgorod Metallurgical Plant (NMZ), as well as two ore processing plants - ZAO "ORMET” and Alexandrinsk Mining and Metallurgical Company.
Then Altushkin and Kozitsyn become competitors - they had asset "Verhneuralskaya Ruda” undivided. It was put up for auction, which RMK won, but UMSC contested the outcome. After that, the results of the auction were canceled - because of the fact that the new owner failed to sign an agreement on payment of the package in time. Thus, UMSC had a second chance to claim on it again.
Source: "Kommersant» № 185 (3024) on 05.10.2004
In October 2004, the copper companies agreed that the shares were to pass to RMC, in exchange the company was to concede to UMSC shares in OAO "Siberia-Polymetal”. The deal also provided a mutual monetary calculation.
Source: Kommerssant (Ekaterinburg) № 224 (3063) on 30.11.2004
In 2005, the "Russian newspaper published an article by the chairman of the public organization "Chelyabinsk against corruption" by Vladimir Filichkina, and in a few days a letter to the president and the heads of prosecutors appeared on the Internet. He accused the governor of Chelyabinsk region Pyotr Sumin and his subordinates of having links with criminal gangs and committing economic crimes.
But the roots of the cases described by Filichkinym were not leading in Chelyabinsk, but in the Sverdlovsk region, to Mahmudov and Kozitsyn.
Thus, the plant Uralelektromed is a consumer of copper scrap, delivered criminals, according to Filichkina, companies. For example, the company OOO "Copper-L" was evading taxes, and was controlled by the representative of the former OPS URALMASH, Sergey Terentyev. Also Uralelektromed was a partner of companies “Peliet "and" Informimpeks ", that had been accused in several criminal offenses related to money laundering.
Source: Kompromat.ru from 11.02.2005
The high-profile scandal involving the cooperation of Vorotnikov and Absolyamov with Kozitsyn to seize a number of businesses owned by industrial group "Uralinvestenergo, drew attention of Rashid Nurgaliev in 2005. Dozens of criminal cases were brought against the company management with their help.
It all started with the fact that in early 2004, the shareholders of industrial group decided to terminate the contract with the CEO - Andrey Ahtyamov. He tried to regain control, but he failed, and then he turned for help to Kozitsyn. He asked to share ownership and capital instead. After this agreement Akhtyamov Kozitsyn was no longer needed, and he began to learn everything himself.
Source: Kompromat.ru of 04.03.2005
Law enforcement authorities launch criminal proceedings against the managers of the holding - Fedoseev and Tikhonov, accusing them of malicious non-payment of wages. Despite the fact that the staff assured that they had been paid salaries regularly, did not listen. Managers were not sentenced, but the campaign of psychological pressure on the shareholders has started.
Then, a criminal case against the director of ZAO “Corporation Uralinvestenergo" - Paul Podkorytov - was opened. The prosecution was also dismissed as illegitimate. A third criminal case was against the head of a construction company of the holding, Sergey Petrov - proceedings on charges of embezzlement. All the investigators who initiated the case got a promotion.
The two leaders "Uralinvestenergo" - Pavel Podkorytov and Gubin were then arrested. At that time Kozitsyn and Mahmoud bribed judges.
"black PR" was actively applied then - leaflets, graffiti, throwing eggs. Akhtyamov also distinguished himself – he crept Podkorytova at the airport, kicked him and fled away.
Then the businessman was arrested, one of the Kapchukov brothers - Konstantin. It turned out that the brothers gained 75% of land in the Shartashsk Forest Park. The remaining interest UMSC wanted. So Kozitsyn decided to lure the land from the brothers - in exchange for freedom.
Source: "solomin" from 24.10.2005
Sergei Petrov was subsequently invited to abandon his enterprise for the benefit of UMSC. He refused. His personal connections in the police helped him.
Source: "solomin" from 17.11.2005
True, UMSC still failed to avoid criminal prosecution. It was instituted in the republic of Bashkortostan on the fact of damage of Bashkir copper-sulfuric combine. The debt at the company got increased upon its submission to the management of UMSC. The company is also suspected in the withdrawal of assets and premeditated bankruptcy of a mill. Kozitsyn said that a dirty struggle is surrounding UMSC with some unnamed competitors.
Source: "Kommersant" dated 17.11.2005
In 2006 the chairman of the board of directors of the Permian OAO “Kamkabel” - Vladimir Plotnikov , appealed to Kozitsyn to avoid prosecution for tax evasion.
Kozitsyn was eager to pocket the company, the more that he had enlisted the support of Right Forces leader - Nikita White, a longtime friend of Plotnikov.
Source: solomin from 25.04.2006