UK Petropavlovsk

History

2020: Criminal case against acting CEO Maxim Meshcheryakov

Appointed interim general director of Petropavlovsk Maxim Meshcheryakov explained that in the summer he came to the Moscow office of Pokrovsky Mine and a subsidiary of Petropavlovsk Management Company JSC, where security did not allow him, on the instructions of the board of directors.

So he commented on the criminal case against him. Earlier, the IC of Moscow reported that the case is being investigated under articles on theft and self-government. The press service of Petropavlovsk announced that the case was initiated in connection with the events of August 26-27: the security did not let the temporary CEO into the office, then he and his companions passed by force.

"I came to work to perform the official duties entrusted to me by the shareholders of Petropavlovsk plc. I had documents with me: the decision of the board of directors of Petropavlovsk plc on my appointment as executive director of Petropavlovsk plc and the decision of the board of directors of a subsidiary of Petropavlovsk Management Company JSC also on my appointment as general director of the company. I came to the address where the office of Petropavlovsk Management Company is located, according to the instructions of the board of directors, who sent me to this building, "Meshcheryakov explained to Interfax through a representative.

"I am more interested than anyone in ensuring that the management company has full information about both current activities and activities over the past at least three years," he answered a question about the accusation of theft from the computer equipment office.

In August, Petropavlovsk shareholders overwhelmingly decided to conduct an independent examination of Petropavlovsk transactions and agreements over the past 3 years, he recalls.

The case against Meshcheryakov was opened by the Second Directorate for the Investigation of Especially Important Cases (on Crimes against State Power and in the Economy) of the Main Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Moscow.

"The Company understands that the investigation of Mr. Meshcheryakov's actions is connected with a crime under article 330 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation" Self-government. " According to legal advice received by the company, the crime of "Self-Government" has a very wide definition and may include actions committed to protect legitimate rights or interests, "Petropavlovsk itself commented earlier.

The decision to initiate the case states that Meshcheryakov and unidentified persons, by prior conspiracy, committed self-government "in relation to the representative office of Pokrovsky Mine JSC with the threat of violence against persons who protected the premises and causing significant harm to the organization."

According to investigators, realizing the illegality of their actions, they used physical force to protect the office, entered the premises and took them under their control. In addition, from August 26 to 28, unidentified persons "illegally entered the premises where computer equipment was stored and committed secret theft of this property on a large scale totaling 470,617 rubles."

Petropavlovsk in recent months has become the scene of a corporate conflict, while the dispute between the main shareholders has already resulted in contradictions between CEO and mine managers and returned to the headlines of Russian economic news the forgotten topic of force penetration into the office.

The largest shareholder of Petropavlovsk with a share of about 24% is UGK, which is controlled by the family of Konstantin Strukov. Petropavlovsk is conducting industrial development of gold ore deposits in the Amur Region; according to the results of the first half of 2020, it closes the first three Russian gold miners.