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Sentence imposed over a probe into embezzlement and illegal sale of high-quality rough diamonds

The evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee of Russia on the probe into worker of ESO ALROSA subsidiary of ALROSA JSC Elena Kanunnikova, Georgia citizen Vladimir Tabidze, and Vladimir Gordinsky, Evgeny Bogomolov and Sergey Sviridov was found by court to be sufficient to impose a sentence over them. Depending on the role of each they were found guilty of committing offences under Paragraphs A, B of Part 4 of Article 158 (theft committed by a criminal group on an especially large scale), Part 5 of Article 191 (execution of a transaction related to precious stones in violation of the rules established by the legislation of the Russian Federation), Part 5 of Article 33, Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Russia (assistance in execution of a transaction related to precious stones in violation of the rules established by the legislation of the Russian Federation).

Investigation and the court established that the offenses were committed in 2016-2019. In June 2019 the investigators of the Investigative Committee, together with officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia, detained the group members red-handed at an attempt to steal another batch of rough diamonds worth over 22 million rubles.

During investigation the Investigative Committee of Russia obtained reliable data proving that Kanunnikova was an organizer and an active member of the criminal group. She distributed criminal roles among the accomplices. Thus, being a worker of ALROSA company, Kanunnikova stole the rough diamonds, while Bogomolov was assisting her in replacement of stolen high-quality stones with diamonds of lower quality. Later Kanunnikova determined the value of the stolen stones on the "black market" and handed them over to Tabidze. The latter, in turn, passed them on to Gordinsky, who sold them with the help of Sviridov.

Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia, including with the help of the conducted examinations, established that by the unlawful actions of the convicts inflicted damage to ALROSA JSC in the amount of over 700 million rubles. Also, during the investigation, they managed to find and seize 480 diamonds with a total weight of about 2000 carats. Money in different currencies, jewelries, valuables, movable and immovable property worth approximately 600 million rubles have been also seized and arrested.

The court sentenced Kanunnikova to 9 years of imprisonment, Tabidze - to 7 years of imprisonment, Gordinsky and Bogomolov - to 6 years of imprisonment, Sviridov - to 4 years of imprisonment. They all will serve their sentences in general regime penal colonies.

Official commentary:

Archive footage

Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko