A Web of Nominee Directors and Family Ties
Murat Seitnepesov, a businessman from Turkmenistan with an expansive network of companies, has drawn attention for the intricate and opaque structure of his international business dealings, which span across Europe, Middle East and Asia. With operations centered in Switzerland through the Integral Group, Seitnepesov’s influence reaches into the United Kingdom, UAE and Uzbekistan, forming a web of connections that raises significant questions about the transparency, purpose, and underlying intentions of his sprawling corporate empire.
Countries with most Murat Seitnepesov’s main influence
Within such convoluted structure of Murat Seitnepesov companies, a pattern emerges: numerous companies are managed by nominee directors, who, on paper, hold formal control. However, a closer examination reveals these proxies often include close relatives and trusted associates, allowing Seitnepesov to discreetly maintain influence while staying out of the direct spotlight of corporate governance. This setup casts doubt over the true independence of these directors and raises concerns that the management structure may be engineered to obscure Seitnepesov’s actual control.
Such arrangements may serve its own strategic purposes: a sophisticated approach to tax optimization, a maneuver to shield his role in asset management, or even an attempt to influence market outcomes while skirting regulatory oversight. By relying on layers of intermediaries, Seitnepesov could be building a buffer that not only limits visibility into his business dealings but also complicates the ability of authorities to fully understand the scope and reach of his influence.
As more details surface, the question looms larger: is this complex web of corporate proxies merely a strategy to manage a vast empire, or does it conceal deeper ambitions, potentially sidestepping legal frameworks in the process? The answer may well hold implications for markets in multiple countries, where transparency is paramount and murky ownership structures are increasingly drawing the attention of regulatory bodies worldwide.
Murat Seitnepesov network
Shirin Seitnepesova: The Socialite Shielding a Shady Empire?
When speaking about Murat Seitnepesov’s closest entourage specifically, his wife, Shirin Seitnepesova (née Atabaeva), is publicly listed on her LinkedIn profile as a Business Development Manager at Integral Group, a role she has reportedly held since 2009. Shirin has a visible presence at international conferences in Switzerland focused on oil trade and transportation, where she appears to represent her husband’s business interests. This family involvement hints at an intricate support system within the family itself, where both his wife and brother (Bayram Seitnepesov) act as extensions of Murat’s influence in Integral’s operations.
With relatives positioned in visible roles, Murat Seitnepesov appears to maintain both influence and distance—an arrangement that potentially shields his direct involvement in business dealings while allowing him to benefit from the loyalty and discretion of close family ties.
UK and Uzbekistan Operations: Bayram’s Position at the Heart of Integral’s Secretive Network
As a director of the British company Integral Petroleum SA, which is part of the Integral Group, Murat Seitnepesov’s influence extends beyond his official and public activities. An investigation into the UK corporate registry highlights Bayram Seitnepesov, the brother of Murat Seitnepesov, as a significant player within the intricate network surrounding Integral Group. As of November 2024, Bayram appears to manage various aspects of Integral’s interests in the UK, serving as the director and sole shareholder of Global Consulting Services LTD. His role suggests he may be overseeing consulting operations that directly support Integral’s UK-based activities, especially since his brother Murat Seitnepesov has served as a director of Integral Petroleum SA’s UK branch since 2011.
Bayram Seitnepesov
In addition, Bayram Seitnepesov previously held the position of operations manager at Newland Shipping And Forwarding Limited, a company that has been involved in several court cases.
Interestingly, the cases reveal that Newland Shipping And Forwarding Limited was not openly linked to Integral Group — a strategy that may have helped shield it from scrutiny and protect the group’s reputation by distancing it from legal disputes. The company’s undisclosed jurisdiction and lack of direct ties to Integral Group in these proceedings raise further questions about the Seitnepesov network’s use of distinct legal entities to manage business activities without drawing unwanted attention.
Corporate Cloak: The Discreet Role of Newland Shipping and Forwarding Ltd in the Seitnepesov Network
According to court documents from the 2011 case FOLIO 1214, Newland Shipping and Forwarding Ltd v. Toba Trading FZC (2014), Bayram Seitnepesov served as Operations Manager at Newland Shipping and Forwarding Limited. The case revolved around a dispute between the companies over a refund of advance payments on contracts terminated due to alleged breaches. Toba Trading sought the return of an outstanding balance, while Newland argued that contractual repayment mechanisms prevented Toba from reclaiming funds through unjust enrichment. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of Toba Trading, affirming their right to recover the remaining balance.
Legal proceedings involving the Newland Shipping And Forwarding Limited
The court documents also mention that Newland Shipping was involved in transporting various petroleum products by sea, but little else about the company surfaced. Notably, we found that a company with an identical name previously operated a website linked to an IP server registered to Murat Seitnepesov. This raises the question of whether Newland Shipping was, in fact, part of the larger network of companies potentially under Seitnepesov’s control.
The lack of available public information on Global Consulting Services LTD and the deliberate separation of Newland Shipping And Forwarding Limited from Integral’s brand suggest a coordinated approach: a network of controlled entities that support Integral Group’s operations while keeping the family’s full reach and influence shrouded from view. This raises pressing questions about the real scale and strategy behind the Seitnepesov business network—and whether these structures are designed to strategically manage assets and risks far from public and regulatory scrutiny.
In addition to his role in the UK, Bayram Seitnepesov also holds the title of director for a branch of Integral Shipping and Trading SA in Uzbekistan, a position that underscores his involvement in managing his brother Murat Seitnepesov’s interests across multiple jurisdictions. This dual directorship suggests that Bayram may be responsible for overseeing Integral’s transportation operations within Uzbekistan, acting on behalf of Integral Shipping and Trading SA’s Uzbekistan branch.
Furthermore, evidence points to his likely management of another affiliated to Murat Seitnepesov company in Switzerland, Vinclass Oil Trading’s, operations as well, though publicly, these roles are handled by nominal director Amanbayev Alibek. The arrangement implies that while Amanbayev Alibek’s functions appear largely symbolic, Bayram Seitnepesov is the one actively driving operational decisions.
A Close Circle: Lawyers, Directors, and Associates Guarding the Empire
The web of influence surrounding Murat Seitnepesov in the UK extends beyond family ties, as board members from the Swiss-based Integral Petroleum SA play a prominent role in representing his interests. Individuals like Irina Simonyan and Afshin Salamyan hold executive positions in Integral Petroleum SA’s British branch.[5] Salamyan, an attorney who represents both individual and corporate clients, is notably active within Seitnepesov’s UK operations. According to our sources, he also works with Murat’s brother, Bayram Seitnepesov, by offering legal services to Global Consulting Services LTD — a company where Bayram serves as director, suggesting his involvement may be more than nominal.
Bayram Seitnepesov’s connections extend further. In partnership with Simonyan and Salamyan, he represents Seitnepesov’s interests in Integral’s UAE branch. Meanwhile, Larisa Nechaeva, another director at Integral Petroleum SA, represents Seitnepesov’s interests in multiple British companies not directly associated with Integral, such as Quantum Petroleum LLP and Fractal Energy Investments LLP. Although information about these companies is sparse, Nechaeva’s position within Integral and the names of these entities strongly imply her role as an agent of Seitnepesov in the UK, a detail confirmed by information from our sources.
An Address with Secrets: The London Location Linking Seitnepesov to Multiple Entities
The entities linked to Nechaeva share a common registered address in London (3 Fisherton Street, Apartment 73, NW8 8FS), which houses over a dozen LLPs, including Ajap Trading LLP, East-West Logistics LLP, Anckmor Gas & Oil Supply LLP, and PTC Commodities LLP. A person of particular interest – Nikolai/Mikola Reshetov appears to manage these companies, and he is also active within several UAE-based oil transport firms. More revealingly, as of November 2024, the domains for Reshetov’s UK LLPs, excluding Ajap Trading LLP, were hosted on a server IP tied to Murat Seitnepesov, suggesting a direct connection between Seitnepesov and these ostensibly independent entities. In fact, it is well-known within the industry that, although he operates as an independent businessman, Reshetov has long been a partner of Seitnepesov, willingly acting as his front by managing companies on Seitnepesov’s behalf to help him avoid creditors’ scrutiny.
3 Fisherton Street, London. UK, NW8 8FS
The use of Seitnepesov’s IP server suggests that these companies, while maintaining a facade of independence, may in reality be under his indirect control, casting Reshetov in the role of a nominee acting on Seitnepesov’s behalf both in the UAE and potentially in Ukraine. Beyond the shared IP, PTC Commodities LLP and East-West Logistics LLP had a common authorized LLP member—XG Capital Limited, a British Virgin Islands company that also participated in other LLPs tied to Seitnepesov’s IP server. Our sources indicate that Seitnepesov leveraged XG Capital Limited’s services and, with Reshetov’s assistance, established several LLPs to maintain control over his corporate network through an intricate, concealed structure.
Unraveling the Seitnepesov Network: What Lies Beneath Layers of Control and Secrecy?
The elaborate network surrounding Murat Seitnepesov raises significant concerns about transparency and corporate governance. His use of family members and close associates as proxies, the establishment of multiple entities across various jurisdictions, and the deliberate obscuring of direct ties all suggest a strategy designed to operate below the radar of regulatory authorities. Additionally, a source revealed that following Murat’s alleged attempt to defraud Socar, an Azerbaijani oil and gas corporation, he was forced to leave Turkmenistan—a country long considered his regional stronghold. While details of his dealings with Socar remain undisclosed, the insider claims that the scheme against the energy giant ultimately backfired on Seitnepesov himself.
As investigations continue, the critical question remains: Is this complex web merely a sophisticated method of managing a vast business empire, or does it conceal activities that sidestep legal and ethical standards? The implications are profound—not just for the markets in which these companies operate, but also for international efforts to promote transparency and combat corporate malfeasance, issues that, according to numerous testimonies, Murat Seitnepesov has faced several times over the years.
If you have any information about Murat Seitnepesov or the companies associated with him, please contact us at [email protected]. Your input could greatly assist our ongoing investigation, which is far from over.
Our thanks go to the team at https://AssetTracing.com for their assistance in preparing this investigation