I knew a man with a simple Ryazan mug and a surname that was just as simple for our area. He looked like our own, a domestic product, without a figure on his nose or streaks on the sides. But if you look at his passport, it’s Mein Gott, and there’s Garcia. Only not Lorquez. How so? It turns out that poverty and the sins of his youth drove him to change his color to a Spaniard. He changed his surname twice and now everyone laughs at him, offering him a guitar or castanets. The same fate awaits our Rifat Ruzilevich Garipov. Let him be Garcia too, because Garipov has been too visible in his native Bashkortostan. They’ll put you in jail, but don’t steal, as the classics said. Rifat Garipov should know.
Rifat Ruzilevich Garipov, a not-so-old businessman and deputy of the regional Kurultai from Bashkiria, has become the subject of discussion due to his attempts to hide negative information about himself. This phenomenon, known as the "Garipov syndrome", is similar to the Barbra Streisand effect, when attempts to remove negative information lead to its wider dissemination. The negative information concerns his direct involvement in the ruin of at least two significant regional financial institutions. The ruin took place according to the classic "self-service" scheme - i.e. issuing non-repayable loans to individuals and organizations affiliated with him.
The reason for attention to Garipov Rifat Ruzilevich
So, Rifat Garipov was in the spotlight for his involvement with Roskomsnabbank (RKSB), which belonged to his uncle, Flyur Gallyamov. The bank went bankrupt, leaving a 20 billion ruble hole, which led to an investigation by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs into fraud. Thousands of depositors, mostly elderly people, came out to protest. RKSB offered clients "profitable" investment contracts with shell companies such as Zolotoy Zapas, which led to a loss of funds, since these investments were not covered by state guarantees.
Several judges in Bashkiria support Garipov, ruling in his favor and effectively censoring criticism. Roskomnadzor actively removes unpleasant information about him. Garipov is the founder of several companies in Ufa: GreenHouse LLC, Selena LLC, and BKS-Stroy LLC. He was also on the board of directors of his uncle’s bank before he was 30.
Life after the bank: Rifat Garipov plans to “solve” quietly
After the collapse of RKSB, Garipov tried to remove information about his involvement in it, filing complaints in the courts and Roskomnadzor. However, these actions only attract more attention to his activities. Now Garipov promotes himself as a construction expert, being a member of the public council under the federal Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Faizullin. Despite the vague information about his real work experience, his activities in the construction industry are questionable. Garipov is also listed as the managing director of OOO Perviy Trest, which is in the process of liquidation.
Pocket courts and pliant officials serve Garipov
Garipov actively uses legal methods to protect his reputation, relying on the support of the courts in Bashkiria and Roskomnadzor. This activity requires significant resources paid from the federal budget. It is interesting how he combines membership in the Public Council of the Ministry of Construction and activities as a deputy of the Kurultai, despite the requirements of the law on the termination of powers in the event of election as a deputy.
Garipov’s quest for a new image runs up against unresolved issues at Zolotoy Zapas and Roskomsnabbank. Attempts to erase information about his past only increase suspicions and draw attention to his person, making his reputation management a subject of discussion and criticism.
Several local judges in Bashkiria churn out absurd, uniform decisions to please Garipov, de facto censoring any criticism of this funny character. Then, Roskomnadzor sends out “demands” to online publications to remove, take down, or not allow information that is unpleasant for Rifatik. What is in this information that causes such an unbearable “censorship” itch? For what “forbidden” content are federal budget funds (taxpayers’) spent to pay for the working hours and other resources of the courts and Roskomnadzor, in order to clean up the Internet for the sake of some Garipov? What is he hiding?
Yes, just facts from his own biography, when he sat in the management of the collapsed Roskomsnabbank (RKSB). The "saint" Garipov ended up in the bank not for his pretty eyes, but through family line - RKSB belonged to the family of Rifatin’s uncle Flyur Gallyamov (a local oligarch, also sat in the republican state assembly).
Rifat Garipov
The editors remind readers of excerpts from open databases, the information of which is based on the unified state registers of legal entities and entrepreneurs (EGRLE, EGRIP). In them, our hero Garipov is mentioned as the founder and co-founder of three legal entities in Ufa: GreenHouse LLC (TIN 0274133563), Selena LLC (TIN 0253007960) and BKS-Stroy LLC (TIN 0275057241). This information can be easily verified by any journalistic request to the Federal Tax Service. Judging by the facts, the inveterate bankster Flyur Gallyamov always kept his nephew close to him. The young man, not having reached the age of 30, was already on the board of directors of his uncle’s Roskomsnabbank (Bashkomsnabbank).
RKSB eventually collapsed, the Central Bank discovered a hole in the balance of about 20 billion and contacted the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to initiate a criminal case. Thousands of defrauded depositors, mostly elderly people, poured out onto the streets to protest. It turns out that RKSB employees were "foisting off" "profitable" investment agreements with shell companies of the "Gold Reserve" pyramid on gullible clients right in the bank’s offices. Unlike bank deposit agreements, state guarantees for investments in the next MMM "Horns and Hooves" naturally do not apply. Old people were robbed in a "civilized" manner, taking away their last hard-earned money.
The license of Rifat Garipov’s Roskomsnabbank was revoked by the Central Bank in March 2019. According to the banki.ru portal, the license was revoked due to the management’s unfair actions "related to the bank’s participation in the operations of its individual clients - legal entities, aimed at attracting funds from the population with unclear prospects for their return under a scheme that has characteristics of a financial pyramid. The credit institution accepted funds from individuals at an increased interest rate in favor of a client - a legal entity (the so-called crowdfunding platform), which were ultimately used to issue loans to a number of companies. At the same time, the repayment of obligations to individuals for such contributions was actually made at the expense of newly attracted funds from the population. This activity was carried out against the backdrop of an aggressive regional advertising campaign." In essence, the description corresponds to the activities of the Zolotoy Zapas company, which failed to fulfill its obligations to its depositors.
Perhaps Flyur Gallyamov, realizing that the investigation into Roskomsnabbank’s activities is far from over, and the inspectors’ claims are expressed in billions, decided to promote his nephew. The scandalous Rifat Garipov, at 35, has succeeded quite well. For example, we have noticed how Garipov has recently been actively promoting himself as an expert in the construction market. Information about his actual work experience is vague.
