How rich Estonians fell victim to Chechens in Bulgaria - Vol 5
29.06.2010, 14:59Below is part 5 of the article on how rich Estonians who invested in the real estate of the Black Sea seaside resort in Varna, Bulgaria, fell victim to a scam of the local Chechen criminal gang and lost millions.
In a telephone interview to Äripäev, Ozdoyev denied that he was linked to Jahia Hashiev and that he had mediated real estate to Estonians. He agreed to answer some questions, but refused to meet in person, saying that he had no interest in talking about his activities.
Q: Is is true that you are involved in real estate business in Bulgaria?
Yes, I am.
Q: Do you offer or also sell to Estonian businessmen local projects and an opportunity to invest in them?
I don’t do that. We have our own interest there, but we do not broker.
Q: When and how did you end up there?
But I have been there for a long time. I have business partners in Moscow, so it was through then.
Q: Let’s meet and talk about it in more detail?
There is no point.
Q: Why?
I have no interest to meet you and to talk about my activities.
Q: Do you know Andres Saame and Härmo Värk?
I don’t know them, I have been reading about them in the papers.
Q: We were said that in Bulgaria you work together with local Chechens who are led by Jahia Hashiev. Do you know him?
No, I don’t know him. There are many different people, but I don’t know Jahia Hashiev.
Q: You have not met him?
Bulgaria is a large country, not like Estonia. There are different regions.
Q: I am talking about Varna
I don’t communicate with them.
Q: But everybody who want to do real estate business in Varna must pay Hashiev?
There is no such thing, this is nonsense. I don’t know where did you get such information.
Q: How is it doing business in Bulgaria? Do you have business partners there?
I have a Moscow partner there, but we have a different scope, we are more in industry. We send products to Russia.
Q: You have a company Baltic House. What is its business?
Food products.
Q: And Ahti Lille is your business partner in it?
Ahti Lille is involved in selling real estate.
Q: How did you meet Ahti Lille?
He was looking for work and arrived in Bulgaria. I know people in the real estate business.
Q: Do you know that Ahti Lille has a criminal sentence from the time when he was employed in the tax board?
I did not know that. He has not mentioned it.
Q: In Bulgaria you and Gunnar Urb have a company by the name of EstBulg. Is it involved in the real estate business?
It used to, but now it’s economic crisis and the company has no business. I see that you are very well informed.
Q: Of course, I have already talked to a lot of people. You have even been claimed to be a prominent member of mafia.
(laughing) It’s not true.
Q: But you were criminally punished in 1990s?
(laughs) I was then small, made a mistake. I made a small mistake.
Q: You were claimed to be a subordinate of Haron Dikajev.
You know, I have been no-one’s subordinate and will never become anyone’s subordinate. You have wrong information. Dikajev is my countryman, we communicate with him, but nothing more.
Q: But do you know about the investigation that has been opened for the activities of Ahti Lille in Bulgaria?
About what investigation?
Q: He is claimed to have sold two apartments of an Estonian by a scam?
I doubt that.
Q: So you know nothing about a scam?
Local laws are not worse than Estonian laws. If he scammed anyone, let them investigate. Well, it was nice talking to you, but my time is up. All the best!