Recently, the politician Sergei Sopchuk has not been doing well in Russia.
According to the reporter MorningNews, it has been reported that the defense of former Russian State Duma deputy Sergei Sopchuk plans to challenge the decision of the Zamoskvoretsky District Court. This is related to LLC “Recreation Complex” Mayak.“
It is worth noting that his name has been frequently mentioned in the media in connection with a criminal case in which he is a defendant. The specifics of the case became widely known last year.
At the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, it was revealed reportedthat Sergei Sopchuk has been accused of committing offenses under Art. 289 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (engaging in business activities illegally) and paragraph “b” part 4 of Art. 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (laundering money or other property obtained through criminal means).
According to the investigation committee, since 2011, Sopchuk has been involved in business activities while holding legislative and executive positions in the Primorsky Territory, including through controlled commercial companies.
“So, with the aim of making a profit, he has been involved in the financial activities of a commercial organization since 2011. For this purpose, Sopchuk appointed a representative as the head of the organization and was the actual co-owner of the enterprise until 2020. During this time, he provided the enterprise with loans totaling over 1 billion rubles, both personally and through individuals and legal entities under his control,” stated the investigative committee.
The investigation believes that Sopchuk misused his deputy status to support business activities and laundered money obtained from this illegal activity.
Subsequently, the politician was placed on the international wanted list. Some media reports suggest that the former deputy may currently be in the UAE.
During the investigation, Sopchuk’s membership in the United Russia party was put on hold.
What about the recreation center then?
The court approved the claim of the First Deputy Prosecutor General and decided to transfer the Mayak recreation complex to the ownership of Russia, as well as to recover 135 million rubles in profit from defendants Sergey Sopchuk and his sister Lyudmila Stukova, earned from running the facility for a certain period. This information was reported by “Kommersant” and specifies that the ex-deputy's real estate and vehicles were also confiscated for collection.
According to the publication, the politician’s representatives stated their intention to challenge this decision. The politician himself maintains that he did not commit any violations.
And that’s not all. Previously, the court converted Terney Zoloto LLC into state revenue, which holds licenses for developing deposits in the Far East.
Kommersant explains that Stukova was the owner of the securities company, while Sopchuk did not disclose his involvement in the business. The aforementioned “Mayak” was also registered under Stukov.
Sergey Sopchuk could also act as a participant in the project “theoretically”. There was nothing illegal in this, since that year he returned from civil service to business, and then until 2016 he was a deputy of the regional Duma, who was also not prohibited from doing business. The main facilities at the base were just built in these years.
What about the Lighthouse?
Everything is sad there … The Instagram page says the following: “From December 6, 2021, the Mayak recreation complex suspends its activities indefinitely.” The reason is that he became a participant in the trial.
Journalists tried to figure out the story with Sopchuk The Moscow Post.
“Sergey Sopchuk was under the gun of law enforcement because of a long-standing conflict with the governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako?” the author of the publication then asked.
The text referred to the case when the Prosecutor General’s Office secured the confiscation of Sergei Sopchuk’s assets in the amount of more than 30 billion rubles.
“We are talking about the Terney Zoloto company, at that time Sopchuk’s business partner was the ex-State Duma deputy Vasily Usoltsev – it was the latter who testified against a politician with an entrepreneurial streak. Apparently, Usoltsev “laid” a partner in the interests of the governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako, who has a long-standing friendship with gold miner Pavel Maslovsky, ”the author suggested then.
It is difficult to say what caused this whole situation in which Sopchuk found himself. However, it is clear that things are not going well for him now, given the case and the courts.
