Sheriff (company)

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Sheriff (in Cyrillic: Шериф) is the second-largest company based in Transnistria.

It owns a chain of petrol stations, a chain of supermarkets, a TV channel, a publishing house, a construction company, a Mercedes-Benz dealer, an advertising agency, a spirits factory, two bread factories, a mobile phone network, the football club FC Sheriff Tiraspol and its newly built Sheriff Stadium at an estimated cost of $200 million[1] including a five-star hotel still under construction.

A Sheriff supermarket (under construction) in the city of Bendery
A Sheriff supermarket (under construction) in the city of Bendery
A Sheriff petrol station near Tiraspol
A Sheriff petrol station near Tiraspol

The name came from the two founders of the company, the CEO and president Viktor Gushan (citizen of Ukraine and Transnistria) and Ilya Kazmaly (citizen of Russia and Transnistria, of Gagauzian origin[2]), who were previously Soviet special services officers[3]. They were involved in the arrest of Ilie Ilaşcu group[4].

The company supported the government of president Igor Smirnov. According to an article in Kommersant, it received a reduction on taxes and import duties when the customs service was headed by Vladimir Smirnov, the president's son.[5] In recent years, Sheriff developed ties with Renewal, a political party which holds a parliamentary majority, with Ilya Kazmaly and the company's human resources director, Ilona Tyuryaeva, both being Renewal-deputies.[6]. Another leader of Sheriff is Oleg Smirnov, president's son and MP for "Pathriotic Party of Pridnestrovie"[7][8].

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