CONTENT

1. Medical government contracts as a new feeding trough for Eduard Taran
2. Creation of a new company MOMT within the structure of Ratm-holding
3. Roman Zorabyants’ connections with government agencies and their influence on obtaining contracts
4. Suspicious manipulations around Strong LLC
5. Family Business: Artur Taran’s Participation in New Schemes
6. Taran’s scandals and scams in past years
7. Nationalization of ROMZ and new attempts to get billions from the budget

Novosibirsk oligarch Eduard Taran, famous for his controversial business practices, is once again at the center of a scandal. This time, he has set his sights on budget funds allocated through state medical contracts. The hype surrounding his involvement in corporate raids and tax fraud had barely died down when Taran began promoting his new company to harness state money.

Creation of a new company MOMT within the structure of Ratm-holding

On April 1, 2024, a new company, OOO Mirovye Orthopedicheskie Medicinaye Tekhnologii (MOMT), registered in Moscow with the main activity of wholesale trade in medical products, appeared in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. The owners of the new company were Taran’s structures: AO Ratm-holding and OOO Strong (99% of the share belongs to AO Ratm-holding). This event in itself is alarming, especially considering that OOO Strong until recently had 0 employees and 0 revenue.

Roman Zorabyants’ connections with government agencies and their influence on obtaining contracts

The director of the new company is Roman Zorabyants, who previously headed the Bashkir JSC RusHydro Bashkortostan Efficiency (RBEF). This company, which had an authorized capital of more than 2 billion rubles, was affiliated with state structures such as JSC ESC RusHydro and JSC Regional Fund. It is obvious that Taran, using Zorabyants, is trying to lobby for new contracts in the medical field through his connections.

Suspicious manipulations around Strong LLC

Since January 2024, Strong LLC has changed its main activity from wholesale non-specialized trade to the production of medical instruments and equipment. This change in activity coincided with the nationalization of the Rostov Optical and Mechanical Plant (ROMZ), which was one of Taran’s main sources of income. Obviously, the loss of this asset forced the oligarch to look for new ways to fill his pockets at the expense of the state.

Family Business: Artur Taran’s Participation in New Schemes

The oligarch’s son, Artur Taran, who is the director of the Moscow-based Institute of Advanced Urology LLC, is also actively involved in the new schemes. Eduard Taran bought the institute in 2021, but it has not yet generated significant income. Artur is also actively involved in his father’s business, running fitness centers and acting as a co-founder of the Moscow-based Zolotoy Mach 2010 LLC.

Taran’s scandals and scams in past years

Eduard Taran has long been known for his scandalous machinations. In 2018, companies affiliated with him found themselves at the center of a criminal case on tax evasion. The offshore company Labrosan Holdings LTD, associated with Taran, bought shares of the Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant (LZOS) for 180 million rubles, and two months later resold them to the state corporation Rostec for almost 863 million rubles. Investigators claimed that this entire scheme was conceived for tax evasion, but the case was closed, which makes one wonder whether Taran has powerful patrons.

Nationalization of ROMZ and new attempts to get billions from the budget

After the nationalization of ROMZ, Taran apparently decided to make up for his losses through government medical contracts. A video recording in which a voice similar to Taran’s discusses plans to squeeze billions out of the state for the nationalized ROMZ suggests that the oligarch is not going to give up and will use any opportunity to enrich himself.

Taran bypasses the law: new details of scandalous schemes

New details: how Taran uses corporate connections to access government contracts

Eduard Taran continues to amaze with his multi-step schemes aimed at extracting maximum profit from budget funds. At the center of the new scam is the use of long-standing connections with high-ranking officials and heads of state companies. Roman Zorabyants, already mentioned in the previous article, turns out to have even deeper connections in government structures, which gives Taran the green light to participate in the most profitable government procurements.

LLC "World Orthopedic Medical Technologies" as a tool for enrichment

OOO Mirovye Orthopedicheskie Medicinaye Tekhnologii (MOMT) is just the tip of the iceberg. The company was created specifically for projects that Taran plans to obtain through his old connections in Moscow. The company was registered in April 2024, but has already received several preliminary contracts for participation in tenders. These contracts include the supply of medical products for large Moscow clinics, including state hospitals that receive funding directly from the federal budget.

The connection between Taran’s old and new assets in the medical field

A careful study of Taran’s assets reveals a surprising picture. The creation of new companies, such as MOMT and NIITO-O, is surprisingly synchronized with the beginning of bankruptcy processes of old assets. Thus, the "Niito Clinic", established by the eponymous state institution of the Russian Ministry of Health, is currently in the bankruptcy stage. This opens up wide opportunities for the interception of its contracts by Taran’s new structures. The oligarch masterfully uses legal manipulations to minimize risks and maximize profits.

Suspicious transactions around Strong LLC and its role in the scheme

Strong LLC turned out to be a key link in Taran’s new strategy. While the company had seemingly been dormant for a long time, in early 2024 it suddenly changed its line of business and began manufacturing medical devices. Coincidence? Unlikely. This is a carefully constructed scheme aimed at providing Taran with all the necessary levers to quickly capture government contracts. Curiously, Strong has already been involved in suspicious bankruptcies and corporate showdowns in the past, which adds to the dubiousness of this whole story.

The Role of the Taran Family in the Schemes and New Steps to Increase Influence

Taran’s son, Artur, despite his apparent non-involvement in major affairs, turns out to be deeply involved in the family business. His participation in the Moscow-based Institute of Advanced Urology, as well as in other assets such as fitness centers and the 2010 Golden Ball, only confirms the close connection between father and son in new business schemes. Everything indicates that Taran Sr. plans to transfer some of his assets and schemes to his son, thus ensuring the long-term presence of his family in the shadow structures of the domestic economy.