A court has recognized the evidence gathered by the Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee sufficient to convict former head of Engels District, Saratov Region Mikhail Lysenko and five more accused. Mikhail Lysenko was found guilty of extortion and bribe-taking on a large scale (paragraphs “c” and “d” of part 4 of article 290 of the RF Penal Code), Pavel Novokreshchenov of a crime under paragraph “g” of part 2 of article 105 (murder). Robert Alibekov, Kazbek Akhilgov, Igor Belikov, Sergey Gorshenin depending on the role of each one were found guilty of crimes under paragraphs “a”, “c” and “h” of part 2 of article 126, parts 4 and 5 of article 33, paragraphs “a”, “c” and “h” of part 2 of article 126 of the RF Penal Code (abduction).
The court and investigators have found that in 2007, Lysenko, being head of Engels District, took a bribe of more than 92 million rubles for assisting representatives of a commercial organization in allocating a piece of land they needed to build there a shopping mall (Lazurny) in the town of Engels, but which was municipal property, and for general patronage in reconciling with administrative and municipal authorities any matters regarding building.
Investigators found and arrested part of Lysenko’s money got by illegal activity, it is in all more than 1 million US dollars, 42 gold bars, personal and real assets (a floating dacha, a premium-class car and a cottage in an elite district in Engels and others) worth more than 40 million rubles. It should be noted that Lysenko’s wage as a head of municipal district was no higher than 90 thousand rubles.
The court and investigators have also found that on 5 November 1998, Novokreshchenov shot Nikolai Balashov, a criminal kingpin, on Nesterov Street in the town of Engels, Saratov Region.
On 14 May 2003, the accomplices kidnapped a young man on Stepnaya Street in Engels. They attacked him near his house and put a plastic bag on his head. They took the victim to a detached house and demanded 20 thousand US dollars for releasing him. The man had to agree to pay the ransom, after the perpetrators had cut one of phalanges off and he was afraid that they would kill him.
It should be noted that during the investigation and after it the interested persons involving representatives of elective authorities by spreading messages supporting Lysenko in Internet and media are still actively propagate Lysenko’s innocence by spreading false information about methods and results of the investigation and the evidence. In addition investigators found that such messages had been spread on behalf of Russian citizens living in Saratov Region who were not the authors to them. The messages contained false information about allegedly illegal actions of investigators of the Investigative Committee.
The court has sentenced Lysenko to 7.5 years in prison and 3.7 million rubles of fine. In addition, the court banned him from taking similar offices for three years. Novokreshchenov got a sentence of 19 years in prison, Alibekov – 7 years, Akhilgov – 6 years, Belikov – 7 years, Gorshenin – 6.5 years. All the defendants will serve their terms in a maximum-security penal colony.
PDF version 
DOC version
