News

The investigating bodies of the Moscow Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have finished investigating a criminal case against top manager of the Central House of Artists Yelena Smirnova and her authorized delegate Yebgeny Kirshonkov. Depending on the role of each one, they are charged with crimes under part 3 of article 204 of the RF Penal Code (commercial bribery by a person managing the organization), part 3 of article 159 (fraud committed using official occupation on a large scale by a group of people in a preliminary conspiracy), part 5 of article 33, part 3 of article 204 (complicity in a commercial bribery committed by a person managing the organization).

According to investigators, in August 2013, Smirnova to get illegal profit from letting on lease real estates of the Central House of Artists involved her acquaintance Kirshonkov as a mediator. His role was to find clients who wanted to rent rooms in a building in Pushechnaya Street. In addition to an official rent, each month part of the money had to be given to Smirnova through the mediator. This way, during numerous personal meetings from August to October 2013, between a law enforcement official working undercover, on behalf of a businessman, and Kirshonkov acting on Smirnova’s orders, they agreed to pass 600 thousand rubles in cash to the accomplices and to transfer another 300 thousand rubles on the account of the Central House of Artists monthly. On 30 October 2013, Kirshonkov was detained in the cafeteria of the Central House of Artists at No 9/6 in Pushechnaya Street in the city of Moscow when receiving 600 thousand rubles from the operative. Yelena Smirnova was detained the same day.

In addition, between March and November 2012, Smirnova through Kirshonkov, whome she introduced to the CEO as her authorized delegate, received 225 thousand rubles for unofficial lease of a trade spot. However, the facility was outside the premises of the Central House of Artists on a land belonging to the city of Moscow. On this ground those actions of the accused were classified as fraud. During the investigation the accused did not plead guilty.

By the present time the criminal case has been forwarded for the indictment to be approved and later it will be sent to court to be tried on the merits.