Questions over Gold Coast’s KDV Sports facility as Russian owner faces shopping mall fire probe

The KDV Sports centre on the Gold Coast is cutting staff positions as its billionaire Russian owner deals with implications from a catastrophic fire at a shopping mall he is linked to in Siberia.

According to a report in the Gold Coast Bulletin, employees at KDV Sport in the suburb of Carrara, which opened 18 months ago, claim a number of staff - including full-timers plus maintenance crew - have left or been made redundant axed in recent weeks.

The staff losses follow a fire at a shopping mall in Siberia in March, which killed 64 people, that is being investigated by Russian authorities who claim a range of safety breaches. KDV Sport founder Denis Shtengelov reportedly helped fund the mall construction.

However, his sister Julia Shtengelova, who runs KDV Sport, has disputed the extent of the claimed cuts, saying one full-timer was made redundant and two full-timers left “due to personal reasons”.

KDV Sport Director Julia Shtengelova advised there are no “adverse impacts” for KDV Sport, commenting “the incident overseas is totally unrelated to KDV Sport.

“There are absolutely no plans to close. We remain open and continue to operate and develop the facility in line with our original business plan.”

At the time of the blaze, Shtengelov - who lives between the Gold Coast and Russia - told foreign media he would not return home, “to come just to go to jail?

“I take it as a personal tragedy. But I would like to have the real perpetrators identified.”

Shtengelov made his fortune with KDV Group, a Russian confectionary giant he founded in 1997.

Shtengelov, who has said he had no role in the ongoing operational management of the shopping mall, has reportedly committed to pay three million roubles ($64,200) Compensation for each of the fire victims.

Opened in October 2016, the $20 milion facility features 20 tennis courts, a swimming pool and fitness facilities. 

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