The investigative committee of the Russian Federation

Investigation of a probe into former governor of Khabarovsk Territory finished

The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia completed investigation of the criminal case against the former governor of Khabarovsk Region Sergey Furgal. He is accused of committing crimes provided for by Part 3 of Article 30, Paragraphs A, F, G, H of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code (attempted murder of two or more persons, committed by an organized group, for profit, by hiring, general danger means), paragraphs A, G, H,J of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code (the murder of two or more persons, committed by an organized group, for hire, in order to hide another crime), Part 3 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code (illegal acquisition, storage, carrying of firearms, ammunition and explosive devices, committed by an organized group).

According to investigators, Sergei Furgal is the organizer of a criminal group that in 2004-2005 attempted the murder of Alexander Smolsky and the murders of Yevgeny Zorya and Oleg Bulatov.

The involvement of the accused in the commission of these crimes was established as part of the investigation of crimes of past years, which remained unsolved for a long time. In 2019, a thorough analysis of all previously collected materials in conjunction with the results of expert studies and other evidence allowed the investigation to draw unequivocal conclusions about the involvement of Furgal and other members of the organized criminal group in the above crimes, as well as about their motives.

It has been established that the decisions to commit the murders were motivated by the promotion of the commercial interests of Furgal and his accomplices. Thus, in order to expand their business, Furgal and his companion Mistryukov opened new scrap metal collection points in the Amur Region, where Smolsky was engaged in similar business activities. The latter accepted the goods at a higher price, creating competition for Furgal. Seeking to force Smolsky out of the market, Furgal and Mistrukov demanded that he change prices and to this end repeatedly provoked conflicts, including by filing complaints with law enforcement agencies. Having failed to achieve the desired result, the accomplices decided to physically eliminate the competitor. Two grenades were thrown into the garage where the victim was, one of which exploded next to his gate. The second grenade hit inside, but did not explode, thanks to which Smolsky survived with bodily injuries. After that, the competitor, as requested by the defendants, reduced the purchase prices of the metal.

The perpetrator of this crime has been identified. It was Marat Kadyrov, who was detained and arrested on charges of committing a particularly grave offence.

In pursuit of vested interests, Furgal and Mistrukov also organized the elimination of Zorya. The reason was the animosity that arose from a long conflict between the accomplices and the entrepreneur because of litigation over the iron and concrete plant acquired by Zorya. At the instruction of Furgal and Mistrukov, members of an organized criminal group killed the businessman.

The victim was shot the day before a judgment was entered regarding the disputed property. The perpetrator of this crime was a member of an organized group, Andrei Paley, who is also currently in custody and is accused of committing crimes under Paragraphs A, G, H, J of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code (murder of two or more persons committed by an organized group). At the same time, in order to throw the investigation into a false trail, Paley imitated a sudden conflict with Zorya, during which he shot the victim.

After the murder of businessman Yevgeny Zorya, Furgal and his business partners, Nikolai Mistryukov and Oleg Bulatov, were detained as suspects because the conflict between them was obvious to all. However, in 2004 criminal proceedings against them were terminated due to insufficient evidence for further prosecution. At the same time, former police officer Oleg Bulatov suspected his companions in the organization of the murder. Furgal and Mistryukov, fearing that Bulatov would go to law enforcement bodies and testify against them, gave the order to commit his murder, which was again carried out by Paley.  Bulatov was shot in front of his house, where he was found alive by his underage daughter, who came out into the yard of the house after the shots were fired. He died at the scene of gunshot wounds.

The other members of the organized criminal group: Nikolai Mistryukov, Marat Kadyrov, Andrei Karepov, and Andrei Paley were charged according to the degree of participation and assigned roles of each in the especially grave crimes committed.

The involvement of Furgal and other members of the organized criminal group in the murders and attempted murders is confirmed by numerous testimonies of the victims, witnesses, and the accused themselves, conclusions of forensic examinations, and other evidence in their combination.

During the investigation of the criminal case, the defendant reported pressure from the investigation and indicated that the investigation was trying to induce him to conclude a pre-trial agreement on cooperation. Such statements have no real basis and are considered by the investigation as attempts by the accused to delay the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, to attract attention to himself and discredit the work of the investigators.

The investigation collected sufficient evidence, established all the circumstances of the crime, conducted the necessary examinations. The criminal case has been forwarded for decision on further transfer to the court.

 

Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko

22 October 2021 16:19

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