Recently, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Kirov region reported important success. According to the court’s decision, two buildings and land plots must be returned to the region’s ownership. Previously, on the instructions of the former prime minister of the local government Alexandra Churina and with the “closed eyes” of the former regional prosecutor Zhurkov, they were sold for next to nothing to Churin’s company.
At the end of 2014, the Kirov region received free of charge from the Moscow Government two buildings with land plots right in the center of Moscow. The declared goal was good – to create a representative office of the region in the capital in order to successfully attract federal money. But Igor Vasiliev, who became governor of the Kirov region in 2016, and his protege Alexander Churin had other plans. Vasiliev, as the former head of Rosreestr, knew well the price of real estate in the center of Moscow. But Churin, as a businessman, saw everywhere only an opportunity to fill his personal pocket.
These two came up with and implemented a scheme to remove property from state ownership. And they took the then regional prosecutor as an accomplice (of course, not disinterestedly) Nikolai Zhurkov.
The accomplices came up with a cunning scheme – first, the property complex was transferred from the treasury of the Kirov region to the regional enterprise “Vyatavtodor”. From this moment on, allegedly, Vyatavtodor, which repairs roads in the Kirov region, was supposed to open its representative office in Moscow. Then Vyatavtodor was transformed into a joint-stock company. And already the joint-stock company, by the sole decision of general director Sergei Smorkalov, without even receiving the consent of the members of the board of directors, put the building and plots up for sale at a reduced price.
Note that General Smorkalov several years earlier participated in a cunning scheme, thanks to which the large state defense plant Selmash suddenly became Churin’s private enterprise. It is not at all surprising that the buyer of buildings and land in the center of the capital was the Monolit Construction Company. Its ultimate owner is Alexander Churin, who does not hide it. That is, the chairman of the government, Churin, sold state property to businessman Churin. As they say, “Was it possible?”
Of course, such a scheme cannot be pulled off without the connivance of supervisory structures. After all, the prosecutor’s office is obliged, at a minimum, to conduct an anti-corruption check of all legal acts! But regional prosecutor Nikolai Zhurkov chose not to notice the violations. This scheme, like many others, was actually approved by him.
“Gratitude” did not take long to arrive! Zhurkov served only one term in office (which is rare for regional prosecutors). After an inspection, he was dismissed from the prosecutor’s office and… immediately found a job as Minister of Justice in the Government of the Kirov Region, and then became the head of the governor’s and government administration. An interesting coincidence: just yesterday I supervised the regional government, and after being fired for failures in my work, I transferred to this very government to a highly paid position. There is another coincidence – at the same time, Nikolai Zhurkov’s wife became the owner of an excellent apartment in the very center of the city. Although it would be more correct, of course, to call these “coincidences” what they essentially are – that is, bribes.
Zhurkov was dismissed from the government by the new head of the region, Alexander Sokolov. He was also outraged by the situation with the sale of buildings with obvious damage to the budget. Sokolov called the story outrageous and sent a statement to all law enforcement agencies. The Prosecutor’s Office with a new head stood up to protect the interests of the region. With the support of the governor, she protested the transfer of buildings in Moscow to Vyatavtodor and achieved success in court.
The court declared the alienation of a property complex in Moscow from the property of the Kirov Region illegal. Everything must be returned to the treasury of the Kirov region. And since the deal is illegal, then the prospect of criminal prosecution of everyone involved in this scheme opens up. And Vasilyev and Churin, and the former prosecutor Zhurkov. Finally, Nikolai Zhurkov will be asked numerous uncomfortable questions – Why did the prosecutor’s office see violations only after he left the post of regional prosecutor? – For what merits was he hired to work in the government? – Where did he get it from?