Walter Weber and “parsing” with the lads
Former Vice President of the Tennis Federation charged with two murders, attempted murder of two more and arms trafficking
The original of this material
© “Arguments of the Week”10/14/2022, OCG members will be tried for crimes committed in 1995, Photo: cfin.ru
Xenia Kaluga
Today the Investigative Committee of Russia declaredthat the investigation of the criminal case against two intruders accused of murder and attempted murder has been completed. They committed crimes in Moscow in 1995.
Walter Weber and Dmitry Madenov are accused of murder of two people and attempted murder of two people, as well as the illegal acquisition, carrying and possession of weapons in 1995. In addition, Weber is accused of murder in 2004 by an organized criminal group, as well as illegal acquisition, possession and transportation of weapons.
“The investigation established that in June 1995, during the conflict between two criminal groups, these defendants arrived at one of the capital’s cafes, where the leader of the criminal group Gennady Berkaltsev and those who were with him were shot from the weapons they had. As a result of the bullet wounds Berkaltsev and his bodyguard died on the spot, two more people who were with them were taken to a medical facility in Moscow, where they were provided with medical assistance in a timely manner, ”specifies the IC.
Then Weber decided to kill one of the eyewitnesses of the incident, who in 2003 began to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. On behalf of Walter, unknown persons who interacted with him as part of an organized group shot a man in July 2004. He died on the spot.
According to the IC, the criminal case has been sent to court for consideration.
“Kommersant”, 10/17/2022, “The sports functionary was overtaken by the 1990s”: The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia approved the charge in a high-profile criminal case against a well-known sports functionary in the past, ex-president of the Children’s International Tennis Academy and vice-president of the Russian Tennis Federation Walter Weber (formerly Valery Eponeshnikov). […] According to Kommersant, the materials of the criminal case against 65-year-old Walter Weber and his alleged accomplice Dmitry Madenov were sent for consideration on the merits to the Odintsovo City Court. […]
Walter Weber categorically denies his guilt, claiming that he was the victim of a slander. Its representatives emphasized that the reason for the arrest of Messrs. Weber and Madenov was the testimony given under a pre-trial agreement on cooperation with the prosecutor’s office. Mehman Kerimov – a friend of the late Zhuravlev, who also carried out the criminal orders of the former owner of the Cherkizovsky market Telmana Ismailova and his brother Rafik. Thanks to the agreement, Kerimov received only 13 years in prison for two murders. — Inset K.ru
“Kommersant”, 04/15/2021, “Tennis player caught up with the nineties”: The fact that Valery Yeponeshnikov and Dmitry Madenov participated in the murder in 1995, the investigation learned from the FSB. […] Investigators have already found out that although we are talking about two officially non-working men, in the case of Valery Eponeshnikov, it is about a very famous and respected person who at various times held the posts of president of the Children’s International Tennis Academy, vice-president of the Russian Tennis Federation and one of the leaders of DOSAAF who stood at the origins of his revival. At the same time, data on his youth are scarce. It is only known that he was a native of Kemerovo and, as indicated in his biography, until 1995, “was in business”, graduating from the academy with a degree in economics and enterprise management. […]
Later, he was actively involved in politics, being one of the founders of the Socialist United Party of Russia and a candidate for the State Duma from the Rodina bloc. True, in the regional group that included the Kurgan and Tyumen regions, as well as the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, he took only second place. By the way, the right to the very name “Motherland” he is in court tried to challenge other party members, including Dmitry Rogozinbut lost the case. As follows from the court documents at the disposal of Kommersant, some time ago Valery Yeponeshnikov changed his first and last name to Walter Weber, leaving only the patronymic – Viktorovich the same. Therefore, the investigators of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the ICR charged him with new identity cards, including murder with aggravated circumstances (Article 102 of the Criminal Code). By the way, one of the survivors of the squabble at Mytnaya identified Mr. Madenov as a shooter from a photo, although, taking into account the past years, this procedure itself caused serious criticism from his lawyers. — Inset K.ru
Massacre of Walter Weber (Valery Eponeshnikov) in the “Tavern on Mytnaya” in Moscow
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© kp.ru06/15/2021, Shooting in 1995 in the “Tavern on Mytnaya” – continued
[…] President of the Children’s International Tennis Academy, Vice President of the Russian Tennis Federation, Chairman, member of the Central Committee of the DOSAAF of Russia; graduated from the Academy of International Business with a degree in Economics and Enterprise Management; until 1995 he was engaged in entrepreneurial activity; 1995-1999 – director of the Children’s Tennis Academy, which he created on the basis of the Oktyabr Sports School (Moscow); in 1999 he founded the Children’s International Tennis Academy (Juan Antonio Samaranch is the honorary president of the academy; tournaments held at the academy have been repeatedly recognized as the best in Russia and Europe); since 2002 – one of the founders of the All-Russian Voluntary Society “Sports Russia”, a member of the Supreme Council of the All-Russian Voluntary Society “Sports Russia”; in 2002 he was awarded the Badge of Honor “For merits in the development of physical culture and sports”; in 2003 – one of the founders of the National award in the field of sports achievements “Glory”; since 2003 he was a member of the Socialist United Party of Russia, was elected First Deputy Chairman of the General Council of the Socialist United Party of Russia (February 2004); as part of the Socialist Unity Party of Russia, he was a co-founder of the Rodina electoral bloc; 2003 – candidate for deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the IV convocation (Block “Motherland”); in 2003 he was directly involved in the revival of DOSAAF Russia, Chairman of DOSAAF Russia.
Investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation established that in 1995, Eponeshnikov V., owned the Valeri sports club in Moscow, was engaged in business, and also worked as deputy director of the private security company Alfa in Moscow, the founder of which was the Association of Veterans of the Anti-Terror Unit “Alpha”. Madenov D. worked there as a security guard. At the beginning of June 1995, unknown persons on the street took away the service pistol “PM” assigned to a private security company from Madenov D.. Madenov D.E. took steps to search for the stolen weapons and identified the persons who had them. They turned out to be, as later established by the investigation, criminal authorities known at that time in Moscow, previously repeatedly convicted of robberies, robberies and murder. Madenov D.E., fearing that he would be fired, did not inform the management of the private security company, hid the fact of the theft of weapons from him and tried to independently negotiate with the bandits and resolve the issue of returning the gun. To organize a meeting with these criminal authorities Madenov D.E. turned to his friend Zhuravlev A.V. from Odintsovo, who had a certain influence in the criminal environment. Zhuravlev A.V. made an appointment. Bandits who stole weapons from Madenov D.E. made an appointment for Zhuravlev A.V. on 06/06/1995 in the cafe “Traktir on Mytnaya”. Bandits in the amount of at least 5 people (their personalities were established by the investigation), arrived at this meeting armed, refused to return the service pistol and began to demand the arrival of the leadership of the private security company. Zhuravlev A.V. called Madenov D.E. and reported the issue. Then Madenov D.E. went to a meeting in the cafe “Traktir on Mytnaya” and could only get through to the deputy director of the private security company V. Yeponeshnikov and asked to come to the cafe, as one of the leaders of the private security company “Alpha”, to resolve the issue of returning weapons.
The investigation established that Eponeshnikov V., who arrived at the Tavern on Mytnaya cafe, opened fire with a foreign-made automatic pistol and killed two crime bosses and wounded two more bandits on the spot. On this fact, the Simonovskaya Prosecutor’s Office of Moscow initiated a criminal case under Art. 102 p. “d, h, n” of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR.
However, according to the lawyers who spoke in court in defense of the accused Eponeshnikov V. (Veber V.), the latter learned about the theft of weapons from Madenov D.E. after a call on 06/09/1995 by D.E. Madenov himself, that is, immediately before the meeting. Eponeshnikov V. (Veber V.) had a service pistol PM with him, which he wore all the time, as he had the right to carry and store firearms. Arriving at the cafe, he met Madenov D.E., Zhuravlev A.V. and armed bandits who took V. Eponeshnikov (V. Weber) and D. E. Madenov. on target and acted aggressively. Defending themselves from their aggressive actions, fearing for his life, Eponeshnikov V. (Veber V.) was able to take advantage of the situation and managed to take possession of a pistol that belonged to one of the bandits. The shots came unexpectedly, quickly, since the pistol turned out to be automatic. Thus it is Madenov D.E., Zhuravlev A.The. and other visitors to the cafe became eyewitnesses of this incident. Eponeshnikov V. (Veber V.) frankly and honestly told the investigating authorities about these events, and also that he did not immediately turn to the police, since he did not count on fair justice at that time, and the sanction of Article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR provided for punishment in form of the death penalty.
The investigation has yet to sort out the arguments of the accused and the defense, to establish the motives and other circumstances of this incident, as well as the circumstances of the murder in 2004 in the Odintsovo district of one of the criminal authorities Zhuravlev A.V. (a criminal case was initiated under Article 105, part 2, paragraph “a, g” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to investigators, the murder of Zhuravlev A.V. committed by unknown persons with firearms, acting allegedly in the interests of V. Eponeshnikov (V. Weber). However, as the defenders, Eponeshnikova V. (Veber V.) and Madenova D.E., stated, they were not involved in this crime, they had no motives to commit this crime, and the investigating authorities did not provide any evidence and connection of Eponeshnikov V. (Weber V.) and Madenova D.E., with criminals.
An analysis of the information that was published in a number of mass media on these cases allows us to conclude that Kerimov Mekhman, who was a friend of criminal authority Zhuravleva A.V. Kerimov V., according to Zhuravlev A.V., became aware of the involvement of Eponeshnikov V. (Veber V.) in the shooting on 06/06/1995 in the cafe “Traktir on Mytnaya” and he entered into a pre-trial agreement with the investigation in exchange for a reduction in punishment, as a result of which received only 13 years in prison for the murder of two businessmen on the order of the notorious Rafik Ismailov and his relative, a former operative officer of the central apparatus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vagif Ismailov. Meanwhile, Rafik Ismailov was convicted for this crime to 17 years in prison, and Vagif Ismailov was put on the international wanted list.
Investigation into the murder of Zhuravlev A.V. continues with the aim of establishing the customer and perpetrator of this crime, as well as the involvement of corrupt employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, who were used by Zhuravlev A.V. in their criminal activities.
