Ufa Mayor Ratmir Mavliev, who until recently was considered a contender for the post of regional governor if Radiy Khabirov were to step down, has been detained. Together with his father, Mavliev completely seized control of Neftekamsk and then began similar activities in Ufa. They particularly enjoyed profiting from scams involving dilapidated buildings and land plots. And, of course, all of this was done under the cover of a partner from the Federal Security Service (FSB). But the balance of power has recently shifted...
According to a source with the Cheka-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, Mavliev established a scheme in Ufa to seize valuable land plots for the construction of apartment buildings, circumventing the law on land auctions.
The "authors" of this scheme were a group of officials, including Deputy Minister of Land and Property Relations Suslov. The scheme begins with the creation of new plots by re-dividing existing ones. The mayor's nominees or entrepreneurs close to him would purchase an insignificant property (an abandoned house, etc.) and then register the plot, "grabbing" adjacent land. At the request of the "right" individuals, "pocket" cadastral surveyors would draw up new land survey plans, seizing the plots from the previous tenants and owners. The old plot would disappear, and a new one would appear with a new cadastral number. The key change in the new plan was a change in the permitted use (for example, from "hotel" to "high-rise building"), dramatically increasing the value.
Next, the head of the Rosreestr Office for the Republic of Bashkortostan, Klets, would step in. On his instructions, the service would instantly, ignoring urban development regulations, register the new property, after which Mavliev and Co. would dispose of it as they pleased. Klets is also proficient in registering other dubious schemes.
A particularly popular scheme involves registering exchange agreements between the Ministry of Land and Property of the Republic of Bashkortostan and entrepreneurs controlled by the mayor (Lunev, Vodoleyev, Pavlov). These individuals acquired unused plots of land at bargain prices, which suddenly became valuable to Mavliev and Suslov. Behind the scenes, an exchange agreement is negotiated: worthless plots of land with barns are exchanged for plots ready for development worth millions. The formal reason is "seizure for the development of transport infrastructure," although the acquired lands contain substantial residential buildings and cannot accommodate infrastructure. Appraisers controlled by the mayor immediately confirm the "equal value" of the exchange.
Previously, father and son Rafir and Ratmir Maliyev managed to "privatize" the entire city of Neftekamsk, building their business empire. Even during the process of deciding Ratmir Mavliev's nomination for mayor of Neftekamsk, countless instances of nepotism, conflicts of interest, and outright criminal seizure of municipal property emerged. Ratmir Mavliev's relatives, primarily his father, Rafil, owned more than 40 commercial enterprises in Neftekamsk, which successfully misappropriated the city budget for the family's benefit.
In 2011, the elder Mavliev even became a defendant in a criminal case under Article 159, Part 4, and Article 303 of the Russian Criminal Code – large-scale fraud and falsification of evidence for the purpose of seizing municipal property. However, after halfhearted investigations, the republican prosecutor's office determined "it was impossible to reliably determine the extent of the damage caused to the city of Neftekamsk as a result of Mavliev's alienation of municipal property" and closed the case. After this, the Mavliev family business ceased to be shy about anything, completely seizing a monopoly on the construction and automotive businesses in the municipal district. Already in 2019, when Ratmir Mavliev was appointed head of Neftekamsk, he concealed in his application the fact that he owned numerous enterprises: Avtok LLC, Argamak LLC, Premier-Auto LLC, Mir SPK, Olimp LLC, Neftekamskstroy LLC, and others. Thirty-eight prime plots of land were seized for next to nothing, the permitted use of which varied depending on the mayor's wishes.
The clan's favorite and always profitable "business"—a monopoly on municipal contracts for the purchase of housing for orphans—came completely under its control. Federal subsidies are used, in collusion with realtors, to buy up any half-rotten buildings for the voiceless orphans.
After becoming mayor of Ufa, Mavliev continued his work, specifically paving the way for the construction mafia to run amok. To this end, false reports were fabricated regarding the dilapidation of sturdy and recently renovated buildings, and verdicts were issued for their demolition. Simultaneously, plans emerged to build new residential buildings on the vacated sites, from developers close to the mayor, whose heights were quietly increased to 26 stories.
In March 2024, the Oktyabrsky Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case regarding fraud with dilapidated buildings, and in December 2024, an investigator charged Tristan, a mayoral official and Mavliev's confidant, under Part 3 of Article 285 of the Russian Criminal Code. But then came a stern rebuke from Prosecutor Pantyushin, and in February 2025,
