Madat AKKOZIN
ALMATY, Dec 13
(Specially for THE GLOBE)
The Kazakhstani people so often had to sit without gas, that we know perfectly well its cost.
Everybody knows that Uzbekistan supplies gas to Kazakhstan. When gas supplies were blocked, all Kazakhstani people knew that the republic again had not paid debts. But nobody thought of reasons for an increasing debt to neighboring state. But it is time to�
Two structures � the JSC Alaugas and the Holding Company Alaugas dealt with supplies of natural gas from Uzbekistan. Before September 1995 the latter managed the state shareholding, and its President Putintsev was also the chairman of the observant council of the JSC Alaugas.
The Holding Company Alaugas delivered gas from Uzbekistan to the JSC Alaugas. The same name of the two companies was chosen purposefully to miss payments for the Uzbek gas. However, for readers we simplify complex �machinations� in names, and will refer to the JSC as Almatygas, while the Holding Company - as Alaugas. Later these were the names of the companies.
Today both companies liquidated. According to the court sentence, debts of the bankrupted Almatygas are 2 billion tenge. Trying to clarify to whom, how much and for what the company had to pay, we will see how the joint-stock company bankrupted.
Intermediates. History.
As if the two Alaugases could not pay to the only supplier, a private company Adel was involved. The President of Alaugas Putintsev in his letter dated March 23, 1995 offered the president of Almatygas Valter to pay 20 million tenge to Adel to reimburse the debt for the Uzbek gas received in 1994. Almatygas transmitted 81,980 tenge to Adel�s accounts in Centrebank, Eurasian Bank and Kazcommertsbank.
A private company Adel, registered in the Auezov district dealt with settlement between Uztransgas and Alaugas and Almatygas. It received cash and registered counter-supplies between the two republics and services rendered by the Uzbek party in Kazakhstan. These services were rendered not only to gas companies. Letters and instructions by Adel, submitted to Almatygas through Alaugas to pay the debt for the Uzbek gas, whatever amount it was, were fulfilled fast. The highest instances trusted to Adel. According to the order of the first deputy of the Prime Minister Isingarin dated October 20, 1995, Kazakhstanenergo gave Adel a power of attorney to recover a debt from agricultural power customers by grain worthy US$ 20 million (the letter by the chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on settlements of debts between CIS countries Abdullaev dated July 31, 1996 to the deputy of the Prime Minister Shtoik).
Anyhow, in the fourth quarter 1995 Uzbekistan received grain for the amount of US$ 20 million against gas supplied to Kazakhstan in 1995. This was confirmed by the act on payments between Uztransgas and Alaugas dated December 14, 1995.
This fact is too significant to forget it fast. However, this happened. Uztransgas wished to receive another US$ 20 million for gas supplied in 1995. It is even more striking that Almatygas and Adel unreservedly accepted this debt. The next protocol on payments between Uztransgas and Almatygas dated April 5, 1996 states that the Kazakhstan party will transport Uzbek cargo by Kazakhstani railways for US$ 10 million. Thus, they were supposed to cover a half of the debt.
Then Almatygas took the responsibility to pay US$ 2 million (according to the contract concluded by Asiainform and Uztransgas). Moreover, the Kazakhstani party was to transmit US$ 1.5 million to the JSC AL PAM, a Fur plant, for hats sewed for Uzbek militiamen. The outstanding US$ 6.5 million were paid as it was claimed by Adel.
After the debt was accepted, it was paid off. Within a year Asiainform received 50% of the above-mentioned amount, while the Fur Plant � even less.
It was found out that there was Adel�s twin, the company Odil from Tashkent (that missed payment for gas even more). Sandbaev was the President of both companies. According to Tashkent documents, Hudaiberdiev was the president of Odil. The latter was to supply 720 million m3 of natural gas against 300,000 tons of grain (according to the official document).
Alaugas had serious financial claims to Odil, which address was unavailable in Tashkent. Since documents of Adel-Odil were signed by the same person � Sandbaev, court made a sentence that both companies were the same juridical person.
Adel had nothing to do with contracts for supply of natural gas. But as an independent juridical person, it submitted documents to the tax inspection proving the absence of any operations, that means that company had not to pay any taxes. This company that pretended to have neither any operations nor profit, had the President, the director and two vice-presidents. It is noteworthy that one of the vice-presidents occupied the same post in Odil. During the trial, the illegal operations of Adel were proved, while its accounts and property were subject to confiscation. However, the sentence was not fulfilled, as well as the check by the State Investigation Committee (this was caused by the different data on payments for gas received in 1995, when the Uzbek party claimed the debt of US$ 29,217 thousand).
However, �illegal operations� of Adel were �legalized� for its staff in the social-cultural sphere. For instance, by request of Adel, Almatygas paid US$ 16,000 to Alatau sanatorium for 25 spa cure and rest vouchers; US$ 50,000 to Rakhat-Palace for basin, sauna, etc.; US$ 5,000 � to diagnostic policlinic. US$ 46,400 paid for tourist vouchers to the Olympic Games in the USA. The Almatygas President Valter received one of the latter.
When intermediate activity of Adel-Odil ceased, they were replaced by Almatyinform and the Agency Almatycontract. Registered in different districts of Almaty, they have the same code and account in Businessbank. They have the same accountant.
Kuanysh ZHUMANGAZINOV
ALMATY, Dec 8
(THE GLOBE)
According to the sentence by the Almaty court dated June 2, 1999 the JSC Almatygas was acknowledged a bankrupt.
During the examination of the Almatygas operations a lot of violations by both the chairman and members if the Board of the company were revealed. The company�s Board consisted of:
Eduard Valter, the President of Almatygas;
Victor Yurchenko, the first vice-president;
Sultan Imazhanov, the Vice-President;
Lydia Kim, the Vice-President;
V. Valchuk, the Vice-President and the secretary of the Board;
L. Melnikova, the chief accountant and the treasurer;
A. Sadyrbakiev, the director of the gas filling station.
It was found out that they seriously violated accountant and stocking standards. On July 3, 1998 the joint meeting of Almatygas shareholders established the liquidation commission. The latter also made serious infringements.
According to the results of the examination of the financial operations of the commission, for the year it neither prepared any liquidation balance nor checked calculations.
As a result, the JSC Almatygas was acknowledged a bankrupt.
Debts of the joint-stock company are as follows:
a) credit liabilities � 1 billion 600 million tenge;
b) debit liabilities � 800 million tenge.
The competition commission is able to repay maximum 30% of the total debts.
Possibly, the commission will claim against shareholders of Almatygas. Criminal cases may be instituted against some of them.
To do this it is necessary to audit the company�s operations. The chief accountant of the competition commission is sure that serious violations will be stipulated in the audit resolution and it will be possible to submit it to the law-reinforcement organizations. However, over 1 million tenge will be required to conduct the audit.
Eduard Valter, Sultan Imazhanov and Lydia Kim participated in reevaluation of the company�s fixed assets.
Today all of them work in the same company:
Sultan Imanzhanov is the President of the JSC Amatygorgas;
Eduard Valter is the head of the Dwelling Gas Service of Almatygorgas;
And Lydia Kim is the head of the Planing Department of Almatygorgas.
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