News

Evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of Russia was found by court to be sufficient to sentence former St. Petersburg Vice-Governor Marat Oganesyan and his accomplices: former Director General of Alexandrinsky Theater Grigory Popov, First Deputy Chairman of St. Petersburg Construction Committee Alexander Yanchik, Director General of Teatralno-Decorativnye Masterskie (TDM) Vladimir Khalif, TDM economist Elena Kovaleva, a TDM worker Artem Kusputsa, head of Stroielectromontazh-5 (SEM-5) Vasily Slivkin, his son Kirill Slivkin and SEM-5 chief economist Nikolay Khripunov. Depending of the role of each they were found guilty of committing offenses under Part 3 of Article 159.4 (business fraud, irrelevant), Part 6 of Article 290 (bribery), Part 5 of Article 291 (bribe-giving) and Part 4 of Article 291.1 (mediation in especially large-scale bribery) of the Criminal Code of Russia.

Investigation and the court established that in August 2013 Oganesyan and Yanchik created an organized criminal group. In April 2014 the accomplices received from TDM owner a bribe of 28 million rubles for facilitating conclusion of supply contract for a stadium video board. Later Oganesyan received another bribe of 20 million rubles from SEM-5 head Vasily Slivkin. For this illegal remuneration the former vice-governor promised to facilitate conclusion of contracts for external lighting and illumination of the stadium. The money was handed over through mediation of Kirill Slivkin and Nikolay Khripunov.

Investigation also established a fact of embezzlement of monetary funds of over 50 million rubles through shell companies at conclusion of supply contract for a stadium video board.

Marat Oganesyan didn't admit his guilt during preliminary investigation, however investigation had gathered enough evidence to expose accomplices of the alleged offenses.

The court sentenced: Oganesyan - to 5.5 years of imprisonment in a strict regime penal colony; Yanchik - to 5 years of imprisonment in a strict regime penal colony; Vasily Slivkin - to 4.5 years of imprisonment in a strict regime penal colony. Other perpetrators were sentenced to fines. Apart from that, a civil claim for over 50 million rubles has been satisfied.