The evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of Russia was found by court to be sufficient to sentence Alexander Popov. He was found guilty of giving a bribe of at least 2 million USD (Part 3 of Article 30, Part 5 of Article 291 of the Criminal Code of Russia).
The investigation and the court established that the beneficial owner and head of Togliattiazot OJSC Sergey Makhlay, being a perpetrator under a probe into a theft of Togliattiazot OJSC products, was also brought to responsibility for a tax violation following the results of an on-site tax audit. In order to avoid the obligation to pay taxes, as well as to evade criminal liability, he decided, through an intermediary, to give a judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation a bribe of at least 2 million USD for issuing a deliberately illegal judicial act in favor of Togliattiazot OJSC, which would overturn the decision of the tax authority. He was intended to use the judicial act to resolve issues related to his criminal prosecution. He engaged the Board Chairman of Togliattikhimbank Alexander Popov in committing of the offense. The last followed Makhlay's instructions and developed an illegal plan. In that, using his official position to avoid official filing of documents, he freely opened a cell in his bank, where he put a part of the bribe given to the actual disposal of intermediaries. Popov could not complete his criminal intent due to circumstances beyond his control.
As part of the investigation, in order to ensure the execution of a possible court verdict, Popov's property, namely, 293 land plots belonging to him, was seized by the court.
The court sentenced Popov to 7.5 years of imprisonment in a strict regime colony. He is also obliged to pay a fine of 500 million rubles.
Sergey Makhlay was put on federal and international wanted lists. Along with that, he had been previously sentenced in absentia for the theft of the Togliattiazot products.
The Investigative Committee of Russia continues establishing circumstances of other offenses including those committed by Popov and other persons.
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