Seven years, but there are no launches // The investigation of the criminal case on abuse of Sea Launch is completed

As it became known to Kommersant, the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) has completed a seven-year investigation into the frauds in the purchase of the platform of the Sea Launch project. The only defendant was Vitaly Lopota, longtime head of RSC Energia. According to the investigation, he illegally sent 9 billion rubles to pay off the debts of the Sea Launch participants, purchase equipment and other purposes. The ex-head of Energia does not admit his guilt, and the ambitious space project has not been revived by the new owners – not a single rocket has been launched from the platform over the past seven years. Vitaly Lopota’s lawyer Vakhtang Fedorov told Kommersant that the preliminary investigation of the so-called Sea Launch case has been completed. As the defense lawyer noted, for several weeks now he and his client, who is the only accused, have been carefully studying the materials of the investigation under Art. 217 of the Criminal Procedure Code. “The investigation does not limit us in time,” stressed Mr. Fedorov, who believes that the acquaintance will take several more months.

There are about 200 volumes in the case, most of which are different financial documentation related to the purchase of shares of foreign companies – the former owners of Sea Launch, settlements with their creditors, the purchase of equipment, etc.

All these operations, the investigation is sure , were carried out at the expense of funds that were not intended for such purposes and without the approval of these costs. only to pay off RSC Energia’s obligations under this project. , entailing grave consequences (part 2 of article 201 of the Criminal Code). The investigation estimates the damage from the actions of the long-term head of RSC Energia (Mr. Lopota headed the enterprise from 2007 to 2014) at 9 billion rubles. However, the former CEO disagrees with the accusation, believing that all his decisions were within the law, his defender emphasized.

As before already reported to Kommersant , the ICR has been investigating the fraudulent purchase of Sea Launch since April 14, 2014. The case was based on the operational data of the FSB and the conclusions of the verification of transactions and settlements on them, carried out by employees of Roscosmos. Moreover, the audit of the state corporation, according to Kommersant, is also based on the operational materials of the Chekists. Over the seven years of investigation, the amount of damage increased from the initial 41 million rubles. up to 9 billion rubles. RSC Energia, recognized by the injured party, filed a claim for such an amount against Mr. Lopota within the framework of a criminal case. For an elderly scientist, it is clearly overwhelming.

However, given the prescription of the imputed crime, Mr. Lopota has a chance that his criminal prosecution will be terminated in court after the statute of limitations has expired. However, this will not relieve him of property claims.

It should be noted that the Sea Launch project, which was created with the participation of RSC Energia, turned out to be a complete failure . The hopes that launches from a sea-based platform with the help of cheap Russian-Ukrainian Zenit-3SL missiles would drastically reduce their cost and attract the attention of telecommunications companies, first of all, did not come true. Back in 2009, the project operator, Sea Launch, had a debt of $ 1 billion and it filed for bankruptcy. However, in 2010, RSC Energia bought 95% of the shares of the Sea Launch operator through its subsidiary Energia Overseas Ltd. The rest of the shares were distributed among other project participants – Boeing (3%) and Aker (2%). Launches resumed in 2011, but the financial situation has not improved. The cost of each launch exceeded $ 80 million, and the debts of the new owner ranged, according to various estimates, from $ 300 million to $ 500 million. The situation was aggravated by the fact that already in 2014, the Dnipropetrovsk Yuzhmash, where the launch vehicles were manufactured, was banned by the Ukrainian authorities from supplying missiles for the project. and the unfortunate location (the launches were carried out in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean) did not allow loading the platform with military orders. As a result, given the project’s profitability, with six launches per year, no more than one or two were made from the platform. The project was mothballed, and the platform itself was delivered to Russia, where the S7 division became its new owner. The head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin promised to resume launches from the water, but so far this has not happened.

Vladislav Trifonov