The investigating bodies of the Moscow Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have opened a criminal investigation against HR Director of the rights protection organization Civil Rights Committee Andrey Mayakov over a crime under part 3 of article 30, part 4 of article 159 of the RF Penal Code (attempted fraud on a very large scale).
According to investigators, on 16 September 2015, Mayakov in his office located in Shokalsky lane in Moscow received at least 900 thousand rubles from a defendant under police investigation. Mayakov promised that he would give the money over as a bribe to an official of the Northeastern Administrative District Prosecutor’s Office for closing the case. The official was detained by the police at the scene with the money in hands.
In fact, Myakov did not have any connections in the said prosecutor’s office or any other opportunities to influence the investigation. He was going to get the money to himself.
At present, investigative and search operations are underway to find out all the circumstances of the crime. The flat of the accused has been searched. Charges and restraint are expected soon.
Recently, just a week ago, another human rights activist Denis Soldatov was caught on the similar crime. And even before that a human rights activist from Khakassia Dmitry Kantsov and Mikhail Savva from Krasnodar Territory were charged with fraud. As they say, one time is an accident, two times are a coincidence, but three times are a pattern. It is this pattern combined with attempts of some of human rights organizations and their representatives to use their authority to reach some political objectives can sabotage the very idea of human rights protection activity. And one more thing, which is typical – after such cases, such “human rights activists” are as a rule zealously protected by some of their colleagues. And you ask yourself a question: Either they really don’t have a slightest idea of what their fellows do on the quiet or they do not see anything wrong about it. I should note also that those swindlers, turncoats and others are protected by the same people almost each time. Nobody of those human rights activists for some reason has never been noticed protecting rights of victims (relatives of the killed, raped or victims of frauds). So I have an impression that some of them just use this noble idea to their selfish ends and judging from the recent cases, this “business” turns more and more criminal.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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