38 MILLION INSTEAD OF 3.8 BILLION: CROCUS INTERNATIONAL HAS AGREED WITH AVTODOR

38 MILLION INSTEAD OF 3.8 BILLION: CROCUS INTERNATIONAL HAS AGREED WITH AVTODOR

38 MILLION INSTEAD OF 3.8 BILLION: CROCUS INTERNATIONAL HAS AGREED WITH AVTODOR
The "daughter" of Crocus Group, which is under the control of entrepreneur Aras Agalarov, managed to peacefully settle a lawsuit with Russian Highways (state-owned Avtodor company). Crocus International (JSC) has committed to pay a one-time penalty in the amount of 38 million rubles within a month. The reason was the improper fulfillment of obligations under the DIS (long-term investment agreement).

On February 9, 2024, the arbitration court issued a ruling on the termination of judicial proceedings in the case (No. A40-150421/2023). The resolution was announced on January 22. The process was initiated by the state-owned company in July 2023. The initial amount of the claim was more than 3.89 billion. Thus, the settlement agreement was concluded on the terms of payment of 1% of the initial claims.

In 2014, Crocus International signed an investment contract with Avtodor. The company acted as a contractor in the project for the construction of the first launch complex of the Central Ring Road in the Moscow region. The customer (Avtodor) was not satisfied that the company violated the terms of the contract in 2022, and also did not fulfill the conditions of insurance coverage at the investment stage. As a result, he filed a lawsuit. The case is now closed.

Earlier, Crocus also appealed to Avtodor with a claim in excess of 6 billion rubles. This is exactly what the company considered the losses that it suffered under the DIS. However, the courts of several instances rejected Crocus International's application.

The Central Ring Road project involves the construction of the first roadway in the Russian Federation, which involves charging fees using the "Free Flow" system. This will allow motorists to move along the highway without stopping to pay. The road passes through the lands of the Moscow region, crossing 13 federal highways. According to experts, the Central Ring Road can significantly relieve the capital of transport. The length of toll roads (4 out of 5 sections) is about 260 km.

Earlier, the results of the fulfillment of the terms of this project with the participation of Crocus Group became the basis for a criminal case against the former head of Avtodor. Investigators suspect Sergei Kelbakh of abuse of office. In 2017, he provided the contractor with an additional 2 billion advance payment. In October 2021, Kelbach was placed under house arrest.

According to TASS, the Accounting Chamber, which carried out the audit of the project, pointed out the inefficiency of construction management. This caused a delay in deadlines, leading to the need to reimburse about 19.8 billion rubles to concessionaires. The procedures for the seizure of land plots, the inspectors pointed out, are carried out for a very long time, and there is not enough labor and equipment on construction sites.


Photo: Freepik

16.02.2024