Consideration of the case of the former Deputy Governor of the Tomsk Region for Investment politics and property relations Yuri Gurdin is coming to an end. Yesterday, August 6, the prosecutor requested eight years of imprisonment for him. Details are in Babr's article.
Let us recall
Gurdin was detained on July 13, 2022 in Anapa and immediately charged with embezzlement of budget funds on an especially large scale (part three of Article 33, part four of Article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country)).
The investigation believes that from July 2020 to November 2021, Gurdin organized and directed the embezzlement more than 79 million rublesallocated from the regional budget for the development and justification of the Tomsk inter-university campus project. He allegedly committed the crime together with the director of the fund “TomskInvestService” (OGRN 1167000050810) Andrey KhvashchevskyThe second defendant in the criminal case has also been charged with embezzlement.
In addition to embezzling almost 80 million rubles, Gurdin is accused of using a knowingly forged document (part three of Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country)). The fact that Yuri Mikhailovich could have bought higher education diplomas in order to take the seat of vice-governor became known in October 2022. The official biography of the former official states that he graduated from Tomsk State University with a degree in law in 1993, and from Tomsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1997.
On August 18, 2023, the Tomsk Region Prosecutor's Office reportedthat, having learned about the initiation of the case, Gurdin “executed three sales and purchase agreements, according to which the ownership rights to apartments in Tomsk and Moscow, as well as a residential building and a land plot in Anapa with a total value over 100 million rubles went to his relatives”. Why? So that his property would not be transferred to the state. The prosecutor's office managed to have the transactions declared invalid.
Gurdin was the wealthiest deputy governor of the Tomsk region. In 2021, he earned
31.7 million rublesHe has shares in 28 land plots, a residential building, two apartments, two docks, two fences, a gatehouse, an unfinished road, a high-voltage and low-voltage cable power line, and a garage. Gurdin owns a 97-square-meter apartment, a 141-square-meter living space, three cars (a Toyota Land Cruer, a Toyota Highlander, a GAZ 6615), a snowmobile, and a trailer.
Currently, Yuri Mikhailovich's property has been seized in the amount of more than 273 million rubles.
Possible role of Zhvachkin
Yuri Gurdin's lawyers petitioned about calling Sergei Zhvachkin to the Soviet District Court to testify. The deputy governor's defense argued that Zhvachkin was a key witness. However, the judge, Dmitry Borisovthe petition was not granted.
Sergei Zhvachkin governed the Tomsk region for 10 years. In May 2022, Zhvachkin voluntarily-compulsorily left post of head of the region. On the same day, the President of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country) appointed Vladimir Mazur acting governor of the Tomsk region. In July 2022, Sergei Anatolyevich became an adviser to the chairman of the board of PJSC Gazprom Alexey Millerabout which before everyone else reported Babr.
Eight years from the prosecutor
On August 6, in the Soviet District Court of Tomsk, during the closing arguments of the parties, the state prosecutor Igor Panitsky voiced the prosecutor's office's position on the Gurdin case. It turned out to be quite harsh. Here's what the department's press release said:
Panitsky also asked the court to recover from the former deputy governor the amount of damages – 79 million rubles – in favor of the budget of the Tomsk region. Fair. Moreover, considering that he has a lot of money. This concerns punishment for embezzlement of funds allocated for the development and justification of the project of the Tomsk inter-university campus. But Yuri Mikhailovich is accused of more than just this.
For purchasing diplomas from TSU and TGASU, the prosecutor's office believes that Gurdin should be assigned compulsory work and released from performing it, since the statute of limitations for bringing to justice has expired. Hmm, the man held a position that he had no right to hold, his official income from the moment of appointment until his resignation exceeded 140 million rubles – Shouldn't he return the region's salary? We think he should.