Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 11 released Yuri Nikitin entrepreneur, former partner "Novoship" (included in the group of "Sovcomflot"), to pay the company Novoship (UK) Limited compensation in the amount of $ 154 million. This was Forbes said Nikitin's lawyer Mike Lax and advisor to the general director of "Sovcomflot" Vladimir Mednikov.

"Sovcomflot" pleaded with Yuri Nikitin and with his ex-director Dmitry Skarga since 2005. The company tried to recover losses from transactions entered into by its former top managers with Nikitin companies between 2001 and 2004. We are talking about rental of vessels contracts, options on the purchase and sale of tankers on the "non-commercial terms or clearly underpriced" and so on. D.

Dmitry Skarga led the Company in 2000-2004, in this post he was replaced by former Transport Minister Sergei Frank. In an interview with TV channel "Rain" in August 2014 Skarga said that the support of the "Sovcomflot" in the fight against them is "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin himself." With Putin, he said, he had met when he worked as deputy mayor of St. Petersburg. n Aboutrichinah rigid position taken by Putin against him even Skarga did not know in 2006.

During the proceedings, the sum of claims of "Sovcomflot" rose to $ 800 million. In December 2010 the UK High Court ruled that only the defendant is liable for compensation is Nikitin (claims "Sovcomflot" to Skarga Court considers unfounded and ordered the Company to reimburse the legal costs of 9 , 5 billion pounds). The amount of the "Sovcomflot" damages based on court litigation costs estimated at $ 65 million.

After that, "Novoship" filed another lawsuit for damages to Nikitin, a former representative in London and Vladimir Mikhailuk Venezuelan businessman Wilmer Ruperti. In 2012, the Commercial Court in London ruled that they must pay the shipping company $ 170 million, of which $ 154 million - he Nikitin. Nikitin stepped on an appeal against this decision. July 4, 2014 Appeal Court in London upheld the complaint of the entrepreneur. UK Supreme Court confirmed this decision. According to Lax, this decision is final. At the time was frozen trialss $ 90 million belonging to Nikitin. As explained by the lawyer, a businessman, is now against the "Novoship" filed two lawsuits - for compensation of costs and damages from the inability to use the $ 90 million.

"We are disappointed that the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom refused us the possibility of an appeal," - Forbes Mednikov conveyed through a representative. According to him, the Court of Appeal has established the illegality of transactions, as well as the fact of receiving bribes Nikitin and his companies, however, made it possible to Nikitin keep all profits received from these transactions. "In our view, from the English courts has sounded an alarm that" to commit a crime can be profitable, "and we believe that it is fundamentally wrong", - said Mednikov.

"As a group of companies, we believe it is our duty and obligation to investigate all cases without exception, corruption and misconduct with which we are faced. In the present case, neither we nor the English courts did not have doubts that Nikitin's actions were illegal. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court rejected the UKus the right to appeal, thus not allowing to bring the case to its logical conclusion and to remove whatever is received in corrupt dealings of a person involved in corruption. This decision will certainly disappoint those people who share the principles of responsible and transparent business, "- he concluded.

In the process, "Sovcomflot" against Nikitin and Skarga became clear that Nikitin had joint business with Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko 6 and its partners' Kineksu ". The decision by Judge Andrew Smith in December 2010 states that one of the owners "Kineksa" - Evgeny Malov - in 1992 proposed to develop jointly with Nikitin "Kineksom" shipingovy business. So the company "Kirishi-Shipping", later re-registered in the British Virgin Islands in the Premium Nafta Products (PNP) was created. In addition, Nikitin became a partner "Kineksa" in the railway business, and then the co-owner of Gunvor Nafta.

In the course of the business section on a "Kineksu" Timchenko partners wanted to buy a package of Nikitin in the railway business, but he sold it Malov and another sovladeltsu "Kineksa" Andrei Katkov, and he bought them a controlling stake in the PNP; Timchenko wanted revenge, it follows from the testimony Nikitin trial. It is with this businessman linked the process of "Sovcomflot" against himself. Timchenko himself in an interview with Forbes named Nikitin "very dishonest man" in 2012.

In September, 2012 in Moscow, he was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison the former head of the British "daughter" of "Sovcomflot" Yuri Privalov, who was accused along with Dmitry Skarga and Yuri Nikitin embezzlement Company. At the request of the investigative agencies of Russia in 2006 Privalov was arrested in Switzerland in 2008 and extradited to Russia.