The car of Shaig Suleymanov, founder of the Levantine restaurant, was shot at in western Moscow. It is reported that on the evening of August 12, Suleymanov noticed three men in black clothing near the restaurant on Novy Arbat. In one of them, the businessman recognized a man named Mamed, with whom he had recently met over demands for money.
Suleymanov got into his Range Rover and drove towards Trubnikovsky Lane. According to him, the men followed. Soon the businessman heard several pops and sharply accelerated. Later, a shot-out wheel was found on the car, as well as holes near the fuel tank and in the glass.
Shortly before this, Suleymanov began receiving calls demanding money. First, an unknown person named Alzamin demanded that he pay into a 'common fund.' The businessman refused. Then a man who introduced himself as Polad and claimed to be a criminal authority got in touch.
According to Izvestia, Suleymanov was assigned a meeting with Mamed for a conversation. It took place on July 24 at a restaurant on Novy Arbat. The businessman stated that he owed nothing to anyone and had no intention of paying. After that, the calls stopped for a while, until the events of August 12.
Meanwhile, in criminal circles, Polad Omarov is known. In 2024, he was extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States in a case involving the preparation of the murder of an Iranian journalist. Whether he is connected to the demands for money from Suleymanov, or whether the caller simply used a well-known name, is still unknown.
Suleymanov is the founder of the Levantine restaurant in Lotte Plaza. The establishment itself has already come to the attention of the capital's authorities: in 2021, it was found to be serving visitors after 23:00 Moscow time during COVID restrictions. At that time, the restaurant had already violated the measures in effect more than once.