Russian Company Demands more than USD 2.8 mln from De-facto Abkhazian Authorities over Sokhumi Airport
The CEO of the Russian company Aero Management Philip Mizonov sent a letter to the de-facto economy minister of the Russia-occupied Abkhazia Kristina Ozgan, and the acting CEO of the Sokhumi airport B.K. Dzhenia, demanding from the de-facto authorities the payment of more than 240 million rubles (more than USD 2.8 million), which it had allocated before the project was given to another investor, Ekho Kavkaza reports.
According to Mizonov’s letter, the company was committed to implement the Sokhumi airport project. “The investor faithfully fulfilled its obligations, for which it provided the airport with a loan in the amount of 120 million rubles, transferring it to the developer of the design and estimation documentation for the reconstruction of the airport,” the letter says.
The former investor also complains that the obligations “to repay the loan debt and to pay the agency fee” have not been fulfilled, and adds that the de facto authorities have actually deprived it of the opportunity to carry out the project due to the “involvement of another investor in this project.” The “other” investor was revealed on the fall of 2023 as it became known that the Sukhumi airport will be restored by Infrastructural Development LLC – the company of Rashid Nurgaliyev, the son of the former head of the Russian Interior Ministry Rashid Nurgaliyev, who is now the first deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council.
The Aero Management’s demands include:
- Loan repayment amounting to RUB 120 million.
- Interest on the loan totaling RUB 18,718,164 and penalties for late payment amounting to RUB 2,270,793 as of May 31, 2024.
- Brokerage fee payment of RUB 7,800,000.
- Outstanding penalties for breaching the Letter of Intent totaling RUB 20 million.
- Reimbursement of the investor’s expenses amounting to RUB 73,436,160.
The reconstruction work at Sokhumi airport is reportedly falling behind schedule. The first technical flight scheduled for July 20 allegedly did not take place. The announcement that technical flights would commence in July 2024, following the airport’s reconstruction, was made by the occupied territory’s de-facto president Aslan Bzhania back in October 2023.
Also Read:
- 27/07/2023 – Deal for Russian Investor to Restore Sokhumi Airport “Ratified”
- 02/08/2023 – US State Department: “The United States Considers Sokhumi Airport to be Part of Georgia’s Airspace”
