The businessman sat down for 2 years for a gift not according to his status for the then Deputy Minister of Transport, who was subsequently arrested for embezzling 500 million rubles.
It has been revealed to Kommersant that the now former Deputy Minister of Transport has been sentenced to two years in prison for giving an unusual bribe Vladimir Tokarev Vladimir Kolpakov, General Director of Expert Center LLC, returned $10,000 and a bottle of Beluga vodka that was given to him on New Year’s Eve. However, the FSB officers were already monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, Tokarev claims that he did not expect any favors and became a victim of his own foolishness and vanity. It's worth noting that Tokarev himself was under investigation in January 2022 for a large-scale fraud.
The Basmanny District Court judge Evgenia Nikolaeva spent almost a year considering the criminal case of attempted bribery of an official on an especially large scale.
This is related to the events of December 30, 2019, when Vladimir Kolpakov, whose company certifies products for railway transport repair, decided to show his respects to Deputy Minister of Transport Vladimir Tokarev, whom he had known for about six months.
Since the official was busy, the merchant, through an assistant, gave him a package with a bottle of Beluga vodka and a box from an expensive tie, in which he put $ 10,000 instead of an accessory. As indicated in the case materials, after receiving the gift, Mr. Tokarev decided to return it.
However, he had previously informed the FSB that he was given a bribe “for patronage.” He allegedly told them that “if it were just a gift, then a bottle of vodka would be adequate, but money is too much.” As a result, when Vladimir Kolpakov arrived at the official’s office later that day, the operatives had already installed audio and video equipment there.
According to Mikhail Ter-Sarkisov, a lawyer defending the businessman, Mr. Tokarev spent an hour and a half trying to have a “frank conversation” with his client. However, Kolpakov insisted that he only wanted to congratulate the official on his recent birthday and the upcoming New Year.
Vladimir Kolpakov was detained upon leaving the office, and a few days later, the Presnensky District Court of Moscow placed him under house arrest at the request of the investigator of the Main Investigative Committee of the ICR for Moscow.
“Kommersant”, 01/11/2020, “Deputy Minister congratulated with a bribe”: […] in the Ministry of Transport, it became clear that the alleged bribe taker Tokarev actually plays a completely different role – the initiator of the investigation.
The official informed law enforcement officers that it was his birthday two days earlier, followed by New Year’s greetings. As a result, on the evening of December 30, he had to stay at work to sort through numerous gift bags with calendars and diaries brought by numerous visitors. One of the sets given to the Deputy Minister included a bottle of Beluga vodka and a box with a tie instead of traditional sweets. Eager to try it on, the official opened the cardboard box and found a bundle of hundred-dollar bills next to the accessory. […] Working with the applicant, law enforcement officers determined that the dubious gift was presented by the most authoritative specialist in the field of railway transport, the general director of Expert Center LLC, Vladimir Kolpakov.
Mr. Kolpakov and his team have been inspecting products made by different companies for Russian Railways for many years. They have given certificates to the partners of the state corporation. Kolpakov was a member of the nonprofit partnership called 'Association of Railway Equipment Manufacturers' and received the Medal of Merit for his work in the field. This information is from Inset K.ru.
Vladimir Kolpakov's lawyer, Ter-Sarkisov, stated that Kolpakov pleaded not guilty to the charges. The lawyer believes that Kolpakov's actions were foolish but not criminal. The lawyer also mentioned that the gifts given by Kolpakov were appropriate for an official of his status. The investigation included four examinations, with the first three showing that the gift was not a bribe, as believed by the accused.
However, the prosecution focused on the fourth examination, which suggested that there was a corrupt element in the words of the deputy minister's interlocutor.
During the trial, the state prosecutor requested a seven-year prison sentence for Kolpakov. However, he was sentenced to two years in prison, with six months of his house arrest being counted as time served.
According to the defense lawyer, Kolpakov, who has been under house arrest since last year, has not decided whether to appeal the verdict. The prosecutor's office is also facing a similar dilemma.
It's worth noting that Vladimir Tokarev lost his position in January 2022 after being arrested for large-scale fraud. He has been a defendant in a criminal case for almost two years, accused of stealing over half a billion rubles. The investigation claims that Tokarev participated in the embezzlement of money meant for road maintenance and repair in the Krasnodar Territory while working as deputy general director of Spetstransstroy LLC. Tokarev denies the allegations.
