The Investigative Committee appealed to the Basmanny Court of Moscow with a petition for the arrest of three former heads of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

They are accused under Part 3 of Art.

285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Abuse of official powers”).

Assistant to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Vladimir Kolokoltsev, ex-head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Lieutenant General Sergei Umnov, his former deputy in St. Petersburg, who was in charge of the rear, retired Major General Ivan Abakumov and the current head of the UGIBDD for St. Petersburg and the region, Major General Alexei Semyonov were detained on July 5.

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  • © Alexey Danichev

On Tuesday, searches were carried out in the homes of all three, in addition, investigative actions were carried out at Semyonov's workplace.

Whether a search was carried out in Umnov's Moscow office is still unknown.

After the first interrogations, the detainees received the status of suspects and were taken to Moscow to choose a measure of restraint.

On Wednesday, the detention of three high-ranking security officials was officially reported in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“Employees of the FSB of Russia and the GUSB of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia conducted a series of searches in a criminal case initiated in June 2020 by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on the grounds of a crime under Art.

285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

It was established that in the period from 2016 to 2020, several officials from among the senior staff of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region committed abuse of official powers, expressed in the acquisition of property for personal use with the funds of the Fund for Assistance to the Programs of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region” , the ministry said in a statement.

  • © RIA Novosti / UGIBDD GU MVD RUSSIA IN ST. PETERSBURG

According to part 3 of Art.

285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, detained security officials face up to ten years in prison.

The investigation is being conducted by the central office of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

On Wednesday, information about the petition from the investigation was confirmed in the Basmanny Court of the capital.

At the same time, the press service reported that the Investigative Committee is asking to take into custody for two months not only three generals, but also Elena Kopyeva.

According to Fontanka, from 2002 to 2021, with a short break, she worked in various positions at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

Until recently, Kopieva held the position of senior bailiff - head of the department of the Left Bank department of the bailiff service of the Nevsky district of St. Petersburg.

The details of the criminal case were reported by Kommersant on Tuesday evening.

According to the publication, the suspects, being the heads of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs, "persistently recommended that local merchants donate funds to the Fund for Assistance to the Programs of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, which were then spent virtually uncontrollably on various police activities, bringing certain preferences to donors."

In turn, the publication 47news.ru reports that a criminal case was initiated in 2020 after a visit by employees of the CSS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to 11 city MREOs (interdistrict registration and examination department. - RT ) and to the former head of the registration department of the Traffic Police Department for the region standing above them Victor Pichugin.

Earlier, as part of the investigation of the same episode, searches took place in the apartment and in the country house of Ivan Abakumov and the former head of the auto fleet of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sergei Lun.

The publication notes that "donations" were collected from businessmen against their will and they actually could not refuse "contributions" to the police fund.

Even then, “unidentified employees of the central office” appeared in the case, who interfered in the work of the fund, providing regular income from local merchants.

  • © Frame: video of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RUSSIA FOR ST. PETERSBURG AND LENINGRAD REGION

On Wednesday, a member of the PMC of Moscow, Eva Merkacheva, visited Sergei Umnov in the temporary detention facility at 38 Petrovka, where he was waiting for a preventive measure to be chosen.

As she told Interfax, the assistant minister, who led the St. Petersburg commander in chief from March 2012 to February 2019, does not admit guilt.

“Sergey Umnov was detained early yesterday morning and immediately taken to the investigation.

He says that during the day no one gave him food or drink - but he, in fact, did not want to, because the person is under stress.

After that, by 10 pm he was brought to Petrovka, 38. In the morning he was told that he would go to court to choose a measure of restraint.

He completely disagreed with what he was accused of - he called it all stupidity and absurdity, ”she said, noting that Umnov himself had no doubt that the court would decide to send him into custody.

It is noteworthy that on Wednesday afternoon the Basmanny District Court, where the petition of the investigation was to be considered, was evacuated due to reports of mining.