In St.-Petersburg employees of FSB and SKR have detained the Deputy of regional Parliament from “an United Russia” Roman Koval and his assistant Andrey Grishin. They are suspected in receiving a bribe in especially large size for the allocation of budget funds within the framework of parliamentary amendments. Earlier a similar case had been convicted the Deputy of legislative Assembly, United Russia, Svetlana Nesterova. We learned the details of the sensational case.
According to investigators, from 2018 to 2020 Koval received a bribe from a businessman in the form of money and Audi Q7, totaling more than 15 million rubles. The official website of the dealer cost starts from 5 million rubles. Part of the amount of the bribe received by the MP personally, and the part he handed Grishin. In turn, Koval, according to the investigators, helped the entrepreneur in the allocation of budget funds to specific state budget institutions of St. Petersburg.
On the website of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg stated that he was elected in 2016. Prior to this, Smith served in the Main Department of the MIA of Russia for Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region, and in 2016, with the rank of Colonel of police was transferred to St. Petersburg University of MIA of Russia for the post of Deputy Director of educational-scientific complex. Over the years the police have been awarded medals “For valour in service” and “excellence in service” I degree.
“Deputy amendment” is about 1.5-2% of the city budget, which the deputies have the right to use his discretion to support various community organizations. It is submitted on behalf of the budget and Finance Committee of the legislative Assembly, so keep track of who and where you sent the money, is quite difficult. According to the Deputy of legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg “Apple” Boris Vishnevsky, his party colleagues have repeatedly tried to push for its abolition, but to no avail. “She appeared in 1996 when the current Chapter it was necessary to postpone the election of the mayor a month earlier, to make it easier to get elected. The deputies did not agree, and to ensure their loyalty, they came up with this cake. He was very attractive and the measure stuck “.
“I’m familiar with Koval rather nodding, on the things we almost do not touch, – said Boris Vishnevsky. – In General, I can’t say about him that all this time he was an active Deputy. At the podium, he appeared very rarely.
as for the “corrections”, we have always said that it is a form of political corruption that rushes to the deputies in exchange for their loyalty in voting for the budget. It is clear that if the “United Russia” has 36 votes in Parliament, it can hold any vote. And then, of course, some MPs could not resist the temptation to go to agree on the rollback.
I don’t I can say it was or not in the case of Smith, it should be decided by the court and the Prosecutor’s office. But we already had a precedent with Svetlana Nesterova, who was convicted for the allocation of money to those who are associated with it and receiving thanks in return.
In General, while “a Deputy’s amendment” will work the temptation to these schemes will remain”.
Andrey Anokhin, the Deputy of legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg from the “United Russia”: “I learned about the arrest of Smith in the media and I don’t have any information on this case. I do not deny that the Novel we had warm relations. When I had a hard misunderstanding with colleagues in the legislative Assembly, he from me did not turn away and supported in unpleasant moments.
I Can only say that he was a Colonel of the Ministry of interior and what is now being written in the media does not fit with the image that I got during our communication. I want to wait for the court’s decision and believe that this process needs to be open. The public should have access to all truth because he is the Deputy. From friendship with Roman I don’t refuse.”
