Leningrad Region investigating bodies of Russia’s Investigative Committee have launched a criminal case against 37-year-old Yevgeny Pankratov, head of Volkhovsky district police department of the Interior Ministry of Leningrad Region and an acquaintance of his – 51-year-old Pavel Krisanov, retired from the Interior Ministry. They are suspected of a crime under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Criminal Code (swindling on an especially large scale).

According to investigators, on 26 February 2013, Pankratov and Krisanov demanded from a businessman whose business was to clean coastline from afforestation to give them 3 million rubles. In exchange they offered him general patronage in his business and reduction of damages in criminal cases that would be launched against him. Later the law enforcement bodies really started three criminal cases over illegal cutting of afforestation (article 260 of the RF Criminal Code).

On 7 March 2013, the businessman gave to Krisanov first 350 thousand rubles of the demanded sum. Krisanov and Pankratov divided the money among them. On 28 March 2013, the businessman gave to Krisanov the next 150 thousand rubles and imitation of 1 million rubles. After that Krisanov was detained by FSB officers and Pankratov was detained later.

At present investigators are deciding on putting the suspects into custody as a pretrial restraining measure.

It should be noted that this criminal case is not the only one against the police officers in Leningrad Region. Now Leningrad Region investigating bodies are investigating a number of criminal cases against high-ranking and file-and-rank policemen: a part of these cases were sent to court and some of the policemen are already punished. Mostly these are cases over corruption and official crimes. At present there is a criminal case investigated against Anton Koshelev, inspector of road patrol service of a separate company of road patrol service of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Gatchinsky district Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Leningrad Region accused of exceeding official powers using violence against a man detained for administrative offence (paragraph “a”, part 3 of article 286 of the RF Criminal Code). One more example is a criminal case against inspector on implementation of administrative legislation of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Vsevolzhsky district Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Leningrad Region Alexander Yakovlev, who was found guilty of extorting a bribe of 40 thousand rubles (paragraph “b”, of part 5 of article 290 of the RF Criminal Code) for giving back a car passport and not prosecuting a man for a traffic accident. At present a sentence has already been passed on Yakovlev.