Roman Zhogov acted dishonestly and stole within the party's boundaries
On December 2, the Leninsky District Court of Voronezh decided on the measure of restraint for Roman Zhogov, who is also a member of the City Duma and the head of the United Russia group. After the trial, he was suspended from the party .He will spend at least 2 months in the detention center, celebrating the New Year, Christmas, and Epiphany. If the arrest is not appealed, he will stay in the detention center until January 29, 2023. If the preventive measure is extended after this period, he will spend his 46th birthday in the detention center . Roman Zhogov will meet in the chamber
.His wife Maria is also a suspect in the case
The defense side aimed to challenge the investigator's petition for Roman Zhogov's pre-trial detention, but the judge Dmitry Mayorov was firm. There were three potential scenarios if the court decided not to send Zhogov to a pre-trial detention center: bail, restrictions, or house arrest. However, the judge's final decision was firm. . .
The reason for this was as follows:
Friday around 3 p.m., Roman Zhogov is brought into the courtroom by guards. He is still a member of the United Russia party, but he takes off his jacket and remains in a T-shirt.
The cameras turn on and the MP is baptized. Then the judge enters.
The hearing to decide on a measure of restraint begins. The only missing part of the picture was the victim, in this case, Alexander Provotorov, a former deputy chairman of the Voronezh City Duma who is currently serving 2 years in prison for fraud and is seeking parole. . .
The Investigative Committee requested to close the court session due to the alleged risk of disclosing investigation secrets. Roman Zhogov firmly stated his innocence and agreed to any decision. After consulting other participants, Judge Dmitry Mayorov decided not to close the meeting.
During the clarification of his personal details and health status, it was revealed that Mr. Zhogov had a heart condition and had to be attended by an ambulance twice during the investigation and in the temporary detention facility. He was also informed of his rights as a standard part of the meeting.
The investigator argued for the detention of Roman Zhogov due to the suspicion of committing large-scale fraud. The investigator suggested that Zhogov, with his long-standing roles in public authorities and extensive connections, could pressure the victim and witnesses to change their testimony or interfere with the investigation if he remained at large. Evidence is still being collected and all the crime details are being clarified.
The prosecutor remembered that the deputy’s wife is also a suspect. And choosing a preventive measure that is not related to isolation from society is not suitable, since there is no guarantee that he will not be in contact with his wife.
The defense side parried.
The lawyers disagreed with the stated petition, calling the phrasing about the deputy’s extensive connections vague. They presented their evidence, according to which a milder preventive measure could be applied to Zhogov, for example, a bail in the amount of the claimed damage (more than 2 million rubles), the initial amount of 500 thousand is on the account of the deputy’s father-in-law, a ban on certain actions, which is motivated by the fact that the suspect is the only breadwinner in the family.
Another option is house arrest, which he can carry out at home or in an apartment at the place of registration (the wife at this time could move into the house without contact with her husband), and also in a rented living space on Karl Marx Street.
Even the owner of an apartment in the center of Voronezh was summoned to court, and she was ready to rent out the suspect’s apartment during his house arrest. The elderly woman herself lives in Shilovo.
According to the defense, Roman Zhogov’s own sister could supervise and support Roman Zhogov for the period of house arrest. She was also called to court.
The girl explained that she was in her fifth year at VSTU, and now she had time for her deputy brother. If the court deems it possible to send him under house arrest, the student is ready to buy necessary products, personal hygiene items for her relative and look after him. It won’t show up in her studies.
The sister of United Russia is ready to spend 150 thousand rubles on him – this is savings for braces. But the selfless student is ready to sacrifice money for her brother. These funds may be enough for two months of existence under house arrest. And what’s next, because the investigation can go on for a year? According to the girl, after graduation, she plans to find a job.
All this time, Roman Zhogov periodically clutched at his heart, but held on steadfastly.
And then they gave him a word.
When the judge went to the deliberation room, Roman Zhogov said something:
While the court is in the deliberation room, we will summarize the plot of the criminal case.
According to investigators, in 2010, Roman Zhogov, the first deputy head of the ER regional executive committee, asked the director of the Voronezh Experimental Mechanical Plant, Alexander Provotorov, who was a member of United Russia, to provide monthly funding for the party. This was coupled with a request for fictitious employment. Maria Volodinawho later became his wife.
Provotorov’s position was dependent on Zhogov's party line, and he agreed, arranging for a woman to be employed at the enterprise for the position of a specialist in financial analysis of the department economyplanning and marketing.
From 11/1/2010 to 05/27/2020, Zhogova was employed but did not show up for work, yet received a salary. The money was not used for the party, but was spent according to the Zhogov family's personal discretion. As a result, the deputy's family obtained 2,386,492.32 rubles fraudulently from Provotorov.
But this still needs to be proven.
Alexander Provotorov himself, the alleged victim in the fraud case, was found guilty of electoral fraud and is currently serving a sentence in a penal colony. It's possible that the criminal case against his colleague is because Alexander Provotorov hoped to reduce his punishment or be released on parole.
The court returned from the deliberation room and read the decision, which was already mentioned at the beginning of the article.
“Zhogov is suspected of a serious crime for which the criminal law provides for a lengthy prison term. According to the investigation, the events Zhogov is suspected of took place between 2010 and 2020, and evidence is currently being gathered. The court believes that, given Zhogov's social status and connections among government officials, he could influence other participants in legal proceedings, potentially altering his testimony or obstructing the proceedings in a criminal case. The court has chosen to detain Zhogov in pre-trial detention due to insufficient grounds to choose a different measure of restraint.
Roman Zhogov himself at the meeting repeatedly declared his innocence. The deputy answered almost all questions, refusing only to name the customer of his criminal case: “You already know.” The suspect asked those present whether he should leave the thought “after this.” “If only to the State Duma,” one of the journalists mocked.
From the emotions of the suspect, it was clear that he was not ready for such a turn of events.
The fact that Roman Zhogov got involved in investigative actions became known on November 30. True, then it was not clear in what status the deputy was. They said it could be a scam. As you can see, that’s how it happened.
Roman Zhogov faces up to 10 years in prison.
For 2021, the declaration of the people’s choice looked like this: The head of the family has 2 million 220 thousand 043 rubles 03 kopecks per year or 185 thousand rubles per month, Volkswagen Touareg, land shares, a country house and an apartment. The deputy’s wife declared over the past year 1 million 150 thousand 000 rubles 00 kopecks, a Toyota RAV4 car and almost the same real estate.
In 2020, apparently, Zhogov had one more land plot. The rest of the picture is identical to 2021. Income for 12 months amounted to 2 million 296 thousand 441 rubles 17 kopecks. But the income of Maria Zhogova amounted to 126 thousand 201 rubles 03 kopecks or 10.5 thousand rubles per month.
