The Presnensky Court of Moscow sent blogger Elena Blinovskaya under house arrest, accused of tax fraud for almost 1 billion. During the investigation, she will be in her mansion in the elite village of Millennium Park. Life figured out how it would be controlled.
How Blinovskaya was arrested
The issue of a measure of restraint was decided in the Presnensky District Court of Moscow. Anything was expected, so Blinovskaya came to the meeting with a bag in which there was everything necessary in case of a real arrest. However, the investigator asked to send the accused under house arrest. The blogger’s lawyers insisted on an even milder measure.
“During the trial, the defense side asked Blinovskaya to choose a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions, the defendant supported the position of the defense,” Life was told in the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office.
What is the blogger accused of?
Recall that the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee initiated a case against Blinovskaya on non-payment of 918 million rubles in taxes and legalization of more than 43 million rubles. Blinovskaya is suspected immediately under the second part of Article 198 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (tax evasion by an individual) and under the fourth part of Article 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (legalization and money laundering on an especially large scale). In total, she faces up to seven years in prison.
At the court session, it became known that Blinovskaya was cooperating with the investigation and allegedly confessed. She has already voluntarily transferred the tax payment, but the amount of payment is not yet known.
– Attached is a copy of the payment order dated April 28 on the transfer of Blinovskaya voluntary single tax payment, – the judge read out during the meeting.
What was banned for Blinovskaya
The judge supported the investigation and sent Blinovskaya under house arrest until June 26. During the investigation, she will be in her luxurious house near Istra, in which the searches took place.
As in the case of another “colleague in the craft” – Valeria Chekalina, Blinovskaya is forbidden to use the Internet, computer, and telephone.
How the electronic bracelet works
“In the next few hours, FSIN technicians will visit Blinovskaya’s house, where they will install special equipment, and put an electronic bracelet on her legs,” a source in law enforcement told Life.
We are talking about a stationary control device (SKU). It looks like a regular landline phone.
– The stationary control device includes a base station that is installed in the house, an electronic bracelet and a special mobile phone, through which the prisoner can contact the investigator, the FSIN inspection or call for help with the SOS button. All connections and billing on this phone are monitored to ensure that the prisoner cannot reach anyone they don’t want to contact. The principle of control is simple: the bracelet is in the field of view of the station, and when it leaves its radius of action, the operator receives an alarm signal, ”a law enforcement source told Life. – This is how the time of entry and exit of a person from the premises is controlled.
When Blinovskaya has to undergo an interrogation or take other actions, then the investigator will contact the inspectors, notify in advance of the time, after which the inspectors will take the blogger in an official car of the Federal Penitentiary Service.
Blinovskaya will receive a modernized electronic bracelet, which is devoid of the shortcomings of previous models.
– For example, it is lighter, it comes with five elastic straps that do not rub the leg, with a new fastening. Tightness allows you to immerse it in water to a depth of five meters for up to 15 minutes. The thermal sensor makes sure that the bracelet is on the human body, and not in your pocket. It is impossible to discreetly remove such a bracelet, because the equipment will immediately record a broken belt. In addition, the new product is almost 11.7 times cheaper than the previous model: the old bracelet costs 102 thousand rubles, the new one – 8.7 thousand. This bracelet now has a powerful battery that lasts up to seven years, the source added.
Why Blinovskaya should not violate the regime of arrest
In a huge house, Blinovskaya may have the illusion that she can violate the regime. But Life’s sources say it’s just an illusion. How exactly the FSIN inspection will control the blogger is a secret. However, the check can come suddenly and at any time. It’s better for Blinovskaya not to take risks, otherwise the Federal Penitentiary Service may record a violation and go to court with a request to replace the arrest with a real one.