The "Mechel" group yesterday surprised the entire market, through an announcement that it has sold the four plants it owned in Romania for the amount of ... 230 lei (about 52 Euros/70 dollars). According to the representatives of "Mechel", the Romanian assets have been acquired by "Invest Nikarom" SRL Bucharest, a company which deals in the sale of machinery and equipment.
* Who is "Invest Nikarom"?
Speculations concerning the "true" buyer of the Mechel plants in Romania did not take long to appear. Market sources said that the Russians of Mechel are only interested in liquidating their businesses in Romania, because they had some Italian investors some time ago express their intention to buy the assets of Mechel.
According to data from the Trade Registry, "Invest Nikarom" is a Romanian company which has a share capital of 100,000 lei.
The company has as shareholders Svetlana Chumakova and Victor Chumakov, both of them Russian citizens - the parents of Olga Chumakova, şeful the head of the branch of "Mechel" in Romania, according to sources close to the transaction.
Yesterday, Olga Chumakova refused to comment this deal.
In 2004, "Invest Nikarom" represented the Latvian holding "Aviabaltika" in Romania, a company controlled by Yuri Borisov, Russian businessman suspected of ties to the Russian intelligence services.
"Aviabaltika" owns Russian company Sparc, which repairs helicopters. In Romania, through Victor Chumakov, Sparc has equipped the helicopters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Yuri Borisov received Lithuanian citizenship through the decree issued in April 2003 by the president in office at the time, Rolandas Paksas, Lithuanian media writes. the Constitutional Court in Lithuania decided that Paksas violated the constitution through this decision, which he made to reward Borisov for the support he gave
