The Vologda Region Office of the Russia’s Investigative Committee has finished investigating a criminal case over stealing money of Vologda branch of OAO Bank of Moscow by an organized criminal group. The members of the group are charged with crimes under part 4 of article 159of the RF Penal Code (fraud committed by an organized group) and part 3 of article 174.1 (money-laundering).
According to investigators, Nikolai Golubin, being director of the bank branch, together with his son Sergey Golubin organized stealing of money disguised as loans. Since 2005 and during 3 years under leadership of the Golubins loans were illegally issues to more than 100 physical and legal persons. Moreover, before 2008 two lawyers Igor Sakharov (businessman) and Alexander Denisov (deputy of Vologda City Duma), lawyer Vadim Smirnov and former employee of tax service Valeria Berdyeva actively assisted the accused.
In all, during implementation of schemes in illegal issuance of loans, including using formed documents, the accused received over 300 million rubles, part of which they returned to conceal previous crimes and have a chance to keep on stealing. At present the damage to the bank is estimated at over 200 million rubles.
The money was divided between the members of the group and most of it was used to buy property or get stakes in the authorized capitals of organizations.
During the investigation over 20 forensic expert examinations have been run, over 130 loan files, 100 extracts of money flows have been analyzed and filed to the case as material evidence, 30 searches have been carried out in the offices and residences of the accused and in the offices of different companies. Over 340 people have been interviewed as witnesses, 27 real estates have been arrested and a lot of other investigating and procedural operations have been carried out.
Investigators have gathered enough evidence, therefore the criminal case with the approved indictment has been sent to court to be tried on the merits.
The criminal proceeding against Smirnov has been severed to form a separate lawsuit due to the fact that he escaped from investigators and is wanted at present.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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