Russian Post did not pay for the system of protection of income

In December, 2012 it became known that at the end of 2011 the supplier of telecommunication equipment of RTK-Leasing entering into "the St. Petersburg group of operators" received the large contract from Russian Post. Its amount - 2.6 billion rubles – exceeds the total revenue of RTK-Leasing for 2011.

According to documents of the company, at the end of 2012 RTK-Leasing signed with Mail the contract for the amount of 65.4 million euros (2.6 billion rubles at a present rate).

The contract was signed based on the open auction held by Russian Post on delivery to leasing of a system of protection of income when using franking machines with the subsequent its redemption. Leasing term – 3 years. Franking machines are used by the large state enterprises to putting down of signs of payment on mail envelopes.

Contract amount exceeds revenue of RTK-Leasing for 2011, made 1.755 billion rubles. Recently on the security of assignment of a right to claim from Russian Post of unpaid leasing payments under this agreement RTK-Leasing obtained the five-year credit for the amount of 37 million euros from Bank of St. Petersburg.

The management of Russian Post had experience of cooperation with RTK-Leasing. Alexander Kiselyov since 2009 heading the mail monopolist before three years was the CEO of the state holding "Svyazinvest".

Kiselyov's deputy for Antonin Kuznetsov's personnel in 2009-10 was at the same time the adviser to the CEO of Russian Post and the chairman of the board of directors of RTK-Leasing. In Russian Post questions of cooperation with RTK-Leasing and relationship of her heads with this company left without answer^[1].

Later the supplier of telecommunication equipment of RTK-Leasing assigned to SV-Transport company the rights under the leasing agreement with Russian Post. It is about delivery to the mail enterprise of a system of protection of income when using franking machines of production of the Italian Selex.

Franking machines allow to replace stamps with special signs of payment when sending letters. Such devices are used by big customers (generally state) for bulk mailing of correspondence. The purchased "system of protection of income" is a hardware and software system which allows Russian Post to control remotely use by her clients of franking machines and compliance to the size of the advance payment entered by it sent by the client of number of letters.

For fall of 2014 Russian Post paid to the leasing supplier only an advance payment for supply of equipment in the amount of 10.2 million euros. The mail enterprise had to pay the remained amount in the amount of 55.2 million euros every month within three years as leasing payments^[2].

However Russian Post did not make any payment in this connection RTK-Leasing and assigned "SV-Transport" rights to claim under this contract what "SV-Transport" paid 3 million euros for. At the same time "SV-Transport" undertook obligations of RTK-Leasing for repayment of a credit line up to 37 million euros, the open supplier St. Petersburg bank just for implementation of this contract.

The equipment was purchased by RTK-Leasing Selex for 51 million euros. The leasing commission which Russian Post had to pay made 9.5% per annum. At the same time this equipment was in parallel put by RTK-Leasing on the above-mentioned credit from St. Petersburg bank and estimated all at 25.5 million euros - i.e. is 2.5 times less, than Russian Post had to pay for it.

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