The trips of the former governor of the Penza region Ivan Belozertsev with a driver, which the investigation sees as bribes, cost businessman Boris Shpigel 167 thousand rubles.
The investigation couldn't determine the exact amount of these events for Belozertsev, but the examination found it based on the average cost of a VIP-class taxi ride. DOPs with reference to RIA News”.
The investigation believes that Belozertsev took a bribe of 20 million rubles from the head of the Biotek company, as well as a watch and a ride in a Mercedes car.
According to the official statement of the Investigative Committee of Russia, from January to September 2020, Boris Shpigel gave bribes to the governor of the Penza region. In total, Mr. Belozertsev was given bribes amounting to more than 31 million rubles. However, last December, journalists “Kommersant” citing their informed source, they claimed that the episode with the Mercedes suddenly disappeared from the case. Instead of a minivan, a Mercedes S350d with a driver appeared in the materials, which cost about six million rubles, so the investigation considered Belozertsev’s trip in another Mercedes car with a personal driver a bribe.
Aleksey Sergienko, the ex-governor's lawyer, insists that the Mercedes episode is a falsification of evidence (Article 303 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and has even asked Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov to provide a procedural assessment of what happened.
According to the investigating authorities, Belozertsev received bribes from Spiegel, his wife, and Pharmacia director Anton Koloskov in exchange for providing Biotek with advantages in securing state contracts for the acceptance and storage of medicines and various medical devices bought using public funds for the local health care system.
The investigation of the corruption case in the Penza region is ongoing, and all the defendants are currently in a pre-trial detention center. Ivan Belozertsev will remain in jail until at least February 20.
It was revealed on March 21, 2021, that the governor of the Penza region, Ivan Belozertsev, was detained on suspicion of taking a bribe. During searches in the official's house, 360 million rubles in cash were found.
Last spring, Ivan Belozertsev confessed to receiving 20 million rubles from businessman Boris Shpigel at a meeting of the Moscow City Court, which was considering a complaint against the arrest of the former governor. He claimed the money was intended for the election campaign.
The Investigative Committee of Russia recently initiated a new criminal case against the ex-governor Ivan Belozertsev of the Penza region. He is now suspected of illegally purchasing and storing weapons and ammunition.
According to Kommersant's information, the reason for opening a new case was a report by operatives from the GUEBiPK Ministry of Internal Affairs, who found cartridges and a Makarov pistol with a removed number during searches in the Penza regional administration.
