Five more people were detained in the case of a large bribe brought against the Governor of the Penza Region Ivan Belozertsev. Their personalities are known. This was announced on Sunday, March 21, by the REN TV channel.
Earlier, the Investigative Committee named two detainees – a well-known entrepreneur, head of the Biotech group of pharmaceutical companies Boris Shpigel and director of Pharmacy Anton Koloskov. According to available information, it was they who transferred 31 million rubles to the head of the region through intermediaries in the form of money and other valuables, including an elite Mercedes and an expensive watch.
According to REN TV, citing a source familiar with the situation, Spiegel’s wife Yevgeny was detained in the case. She is also associated with Biotech and Pharmacia.
The fifth person involved was Gennady Markov, who worked as a driver in the Penza region representative office in the Russian government. It is assumed that he was the one who used the Mercedes that was given to Belozertsev.
The sixth person involved in the case is Fedor Fedotov, who holds the post of the second deputy head of the region’s representative office in the government. According to the source, he oversaw the transfer of valuables and money to Belozertsev.
According to the investigation, from January to September 2020, Belozertsev received bribes from businessman Boris Shpigel, his wife and director of Pharmacy OJSC Anton Koloskov through intermediaries in the form of money and other valuables in the amount exceeding 31 million rubles. The UK said that bribes were transferred for providing benefits when concluding government contracts. The investigation will petition for the arrest of the defendants, said the official representative of the TFR Svetlana Petrenko.
According to REN TV, Belozertsev could provide support to his sons’ business using his powers; they were also searched.
During his father’s several years in power, the sons of the governor acquired a number of apartments, parking in the Triumph residential complex and land plots, and both own land and the building of a state dental clinic in a share with the director of the Penza Region Development Corporation Dmitry Polukarov.
Earlier, on March 19, investigators of the Trans-Baikal Territory opened two criminal cases on the facts of abuse of office when concluding government contracts worth more than 2 billion rubles.