The Sverdlovsk regional branch of United Russia is checking information about the possible use of “telephone law” by Igor Bazilevich, vice-speaker of the Nizhny Tagil City Council.
He was a witness at the trial against former traffic police officers who illegally released his son after his arrest. On February 14, the policemen were found guilty of abuse of power and sentenced to various terms in the colony-settlement. Igor Bazilevich, in accordance with the charter of United Russia, may face expulsion from the party, but the expert doubts that the vice-speaker of the Tagil Duma will incur any costs other than reputational ones.
Maxim Bestfater, head of the propaganda department of the United Russia regional branch, told Kommersant Ural about checking information about the possible exertion of administrative pressure on traffic police officers by party member, deputy chairman of the Nizhny Tagil Duma Igor Bazilevich. “If it is proved that Bazilevich demanded from the leadership of the city traffic police to release his son from responsibility for a gross violation of traffic rules, the politician will be expelled from the party and faction in the Nizhny Tagil Duma. However, it is premature to evaluate the actions of Igor Bazilevich until the completion of the audit,” said Mr. Bestfater.
Increased interest in Igor Bazilevich resurfaced after the verdict, rendered On February 14, the Tagilstroevsky District Court of Nizhny Tagil in relation to the ex-head of the city department of the traffic police, Anatoly Chernov, and three of his subordinates.
Judge Tagilstroyevsky District Court Olga Platunova said in her verdict that on July 10, 2020, at about 21:10, two traffic police inspectors stopped a ZAZ Chance car on the roadway near house No. 2a on Isinskaya Street in Nizhny Tagil. Behind the wheel was Vladimir Bazilevich, the son of Igor Bazilevich, who at that time was deprived of a driver’s license. Traffic police officers Denis Kholstinin and Konstantin Babushkin brought him to the department to be held accountable.
The court established that Vladimir Bazilevich called his father. “Bazilevich Sr. called the chief of police (Ministry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia “Nizhniy Tagilskoye” – “Kommersant-Ural”) Abdulkadyrov, with whom he had a trusting relationship. He asked to find out the circumstances of his son’s detention by the police. Abdulkadyrov called Chernov, to whom he ordered to find out the circumstances of Bazilevich’s detention, saying that the detainee was the son of a high-ranking official, ”Judge Platunova said during the announcement of the verdict. According to the indictment, Anatoly Chernov considered that bringing Bazilevich to justice could negatively affect his career, and ordered the offender to be released.
In addition to Anatoly Chernov, there are three other defendants in the case: former deputy platoon commander Sergei Petukhov and two traffic police officers, Denis Kholstinin and Konstantin Babushkin. They, unlike Chernov, admitted their guilt, explaining that “they were just doing their job.”
According to the court, the actions of the defendants in the case resulted in “a significant violation of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens to the right to road safety.” The court sentenced Chernov to two years in a colony-settlement, Petukhov to 10 months, Kholstinin and Babushkin to nine months.
During the trial, neither Igor Bazilevich nor his son Vladimir appeared at the court hearings for good reasons. Their testimony given to the investigator was read out. Judge Olga Platunova in her verdict noted that Bazilevich Jr. took advantage of his father’s high-ranking position.
Vladimir Bazilevich was deprived of his driver’s license after an accident with the deceased. In March 2018, while in a state of intoxication, the son of the vice speaker of the Nizhny Tagil Duma crashed into a tree in his father’s car. As a result of the accident, a passenger died from his injuries in the hospital. The Dzerzhinsky District Court of Nizhny Tagil sentenced Vladimir Bazilevich to two years in a colony-settlement (at the time of the offense in July 2020, he had already served his sentence. – Kommersant-Ural).
Experts believe that no serious consequences, in addition to reputational damage, should be expected for the deputy chairman of the Nizhny Tagil Duma. “The party did not even suspend the membership of Igor Bazilevich during the check. The use of the “telephone” law by him in relation to his son took place, but according to the case file, he only asked to find out the circumstances of the detention. And then – the kurtosis of the performer – Kozma Prutkov in its purest form: zeal overcomes reason, ”said a source close to ER.
Even if the actions of Igor Bazilevich are recognized as discrediting United Russia and he is expelled from the party and the parliamentary faction, this will not affect his deputy powers. The charter of Nizhny Tagil, in accordance with the law, provides for several grounds for the early termination of the powers of a deputy, but none of them applies to this case.
Igor Bazilevich declined to comment, citing Art. 51 of the Constitution (No one is obliged to testify against himself, his spouse and close relatives).