The blatant misuse of the FDI route by Russian nationals to snap up prime land in Goa has become a cause of concern and even a security threat. The problem gets compounded when politicians like former Goa Minister Babush Monserrate allegedly legalise land conversions for a price and let fraudulent companies operate unchecked.
REALITY CHECK: Many of the Russian real estate investors in Goa have criminal records back home.
The National Security Advisor recently expressed fears that international mafia and terror groups were investing in Indian real estate. A secret national security report even mentions that the Russian mafia has invested large sums of money in Goa real estate.
The report also notes that FDI was getting automatic approval there.
“It has been noticed that the Russian mafia has invested large sums in real estate projects in Goa. FDI in real estate comes under the automatic approval route,” the report notes.
People like Leonid Beyzer, Yulia Yaskova, Sergey, Valiulin and Mamedov — familiar names in Goa’s real estate industry — are the faces of the Russian mafia operating in Goa.
And they know how the system works. “We know what we are buying. We check with a good lawyer who can solve the problems,” admits Yulia Yaskova.
The CNN-IBN Special Investigation team found lawyers who help the Russian mafia break Indian laws and breach national security.
“Foreigners are not allowed into real estate business, so they do estate agency,” Augustus Monteiro, a Goa-based lawyer, explains.
“We give full service. We have a man who can do it. Without that nothing is possible in Goa. I have formed 80 (foreign) companies. Just form a company and buy property,” Gajanan K Korgaonkar, another Goan lawyer, says.
These statements are clear testimony of how Russian mafia is misusing foreign investment regulations to grab land in the state.
In some cases, dummy Indian partners are also used to get hold of land plots. For instance, Pramod Walke was Leonid Beyzer’s dummy in setting up True Axiz and Artlibori Resorts. The documents reveal it all.
Wrong local and foreign addresses are used in the documents and the records of foreign investment are not properly maintained. This is done to hide criminal records.
Valiulin Rashid is said to be part of the mafia. Leonid Beyzer was charged in Russia for possessing cocaine. And Sergey Ivanov, says Russia’s Economic Security agency, set up a bank called OTON, defrauding hundreds of investors.
“From the beginning he was my business partner. Later when I found out that he is not a correct businessman, I separated my business from Sergey,” Leonid Beyzer claims.
(With Rohit Khanna & Pramod Acharya)
Courtesy: IBNlive
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