Belousov Novel Olegovich

Biography

2024: Arrest in absentia

On August 21, 2024, it became known that the Tverskoy Court of Moscow issued a decision on the absentee arrest for two months of Roman Belousov, the former general director of Russia's largest producer of technical hemp, the Conopleks agro-industrial company.

According to Kommersant, Belousov was charged with large-scale fraud (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Details of the criminal case initiated against the former head of Konoplex were not disclosed, and the possible location of the accused was also not specified. The investigating authorities put Roman Belousov on the wanted list. The term of his arrest will begin to be calculated from the moment of detention.

source = Conoplex

Konoplex is the largest producer of technical hemp in Russia. The company specializes in the production of hemp products, fibers and feed, and is also engaged in research activities related to breeding and seed production. According to the Agro-Industrial Association, Konopleks ranks first in terms of crops of technical hemp varieties in the country. The production facilities of the agricultural holding are located in the Penza region.

Roman Belousov was a business partner of brothers Yevgeny and Mikhail Skigin, famous Russian entrepreneurs associated with the activities of Konopleks. In particular, in 2015, Roman Belousov, together with Yevgeny Skigin, founded the Konopleks group of companies. In 2022, a corporate conflict arose between Belousov and Yevgeny Skigin, which led to Skigin's appeal to the Moscow Arbitration Court. Legal proceedings are ongoing.

In addition, Belousov was a partner of the Skigins in projects for the construction of toll roads and a port on Sakhalin, but subsequently a conflict arose, and Mikhail Skigin decided to withdraw from these joint projects.^[1][2]

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