Mercator holding continues to maintain its highly questionable reputation in the market. Which is not surprising. One of the founders of "Mercator" are "authority" Semyon Mogilevich (don Simeon) and authoritative businessman Sergey Mikhailov (Mihas). This time the Central excise customs (CAT) caught "Mercator" on attempt of the wrong Declaration of freight - made out at the rate of 0 %, and had to pay 3 %. The proceedings around this confirmed what the FAS had previously established. "Mercator" only makes the appearance that produces harvesting equipment in Russia. In reality, these are Swiss products.
As it became known Rucriminal.info, the interest of the CAT and the Moscow regional customs attracted a large batch of products received at the Krasnoarmeysky and Krekshinsky customs posts to the company "Mercator international" - "daughters"of" Mercator Holding". The supplier was the firm "Bucher municipal AG" (Switzerland). The goods were declared as "attachments for public works", according to the code of the FEACN of the EAEU 8479100000. Products covered by this code have a customs duty rate of 0 %. That is, the recipient does not pay anything to the Treasury.
During a detailed inspection of the cargo customs officers found sweeping and vacuum equipment: Bucher cityfant 40, Bucher cityfant 2010 SL, Bucher cityfant 6000, Optifant 8000. Moreover, it did not go to the chassis, that is, this equipment, as an independent, can be placed on any suitable type of machine. Having studied the technique, the customs officers came to a clear conclusion: these sweeping and vacuum installations are independent vacuum equipment. And vacuum cleaners fall under another code of the FEACN of the EAEU-8508600000. And the relevant goods are subject to the customs duty rate of 3 %.
"Mercator" began to object to this decision, insisting that no it is not vacuum cleaners. However, the customs investigation showed that this is not so and "Mercator" certainly knew it. And I tried to hold the goods at the rate of 0% consciously. Specialists of the Central forensic customs Department of the Forensic service of Moscow have studied in detail the equipment and found, according to the documents available Rucriminal.info, next. With the help of this equipment is made "removal of debris by exposure to the surface directed air-vortex flow, followed by suction and separation of debris in the hopper." I mean, they're vacuum cleaners.
However, just in case, customs representatives sent a request to the manufacturer- "buher municipal AG". According to the response received on November 10, 2018, "the cleaning process is based on the difference between atmospheric pressure and the pressure inside the harvesting machine. The diesel engine drives a turbo-pumping unit, which creates a vacuum in the internal air space, close to the vacuum and due to atmospheric pressure, everything that is on the surface to be cleaned enters the inner cavity of the machine, followed by movement into the hopper...". That is, the manufacturer confirmed that these are vacuum cleaners.
Considering that " Mercator holding "is actually the Russian representation of" buher municipal AG", there could not but know that they are vacuum cleaners. But we decided to issue them as other products, with the rate of customs duties 0%. Moreover, "Mercator", being caught" by the hand", decided to challenge the actions of customs officers in court, but lost all claims.
However, Rucriminal.info no doubt that this scandal will not affect Metropolitan government, annually purchasing the "Merkator Holding" products to billions of rubles. After all, the government of Sergei Sobyanin is not confused by the fact that in the materials of the FBI and the Russian NCB Interpol the main owner and head of the "Mercator Holding" Stanislav Nikolaev is listed as one of the closest associates of the "authority" Semyon Mogilevich (don Simeon). It was Nikolaev who at one time led the world's main "Laundry" - the company Arigon.ltd.
When Mogilevich and Nikolaev got into development of intelligence services of a number of countries, they settled in Russia. Then the Mercator was born. And one of the owners of the holding at one time was a reputable businessman from Solntsevo, a longtime friend and partner of Mogilevich Sergey Mikhailov (Mihas). Later he dropped out of the number of official owners, but in the market everyone knows that Mihas still has control over the "Mercator".
Do not confuse the city authorities even regulations of the FAS, which had previously published Rucriminal.info. In January 2018, the Moscow government held a tender for the purchase of harvesting machinery on 091 945 2 645 rubles and, as usual, the winner was the company "Mercator". However, FAS revealed numerous violations during the competition. In particular, the Service found that Mercator holding failed to prove that the equipment supplied by it is Russian-made and does not fall under Russian sanctions.
As a result, the FAS was ordered to cancel the minutes of summing up the competition, as well as to revise the bid of the participant of the purchase of "Mercator". The injunction was handed down on 31 January 2018 and the period of its execution was marked 14.02.2018.
Do you know what the Moscow government did next? Nothing. As a matter of urgency, on February 2, 2018 (two days after the FAS order), the city authorities concluded a state contract No. 2772765679018000077 with Mercator and began to transfer budgetary funds to the company.
To be continued
Timofey Grishin