On Wednesday, October 4, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow, at the request of an investigator from the central office of the Investigative Committee, placed the mayor of Kizilyurt and the ex-Minister of Sports of Dagestan Magomed Magomedov under arrest until December 2, the court reported.
He is accused of embezzlement or embezzlement committed by an organized group, as well as on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code). The maximum penalty under this article is up to ten years in prison.
“Kommersant”, 10/04/2023, “The anniversary didn’t ruin things”: Petitions from the investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the arrests of Magomed Magomedov and the second person involved in the high-profile case of embezzlement on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code) of the head of the department of physical culture, sports and reserve training of the Ministry of Sports of Dagestan, Halitbeg Makhachev, were considered by the Basmanny District Court in closed modes for the media . The investigator motivated the corresponding request by the fact that otherwise, information that constitutes a secret of the investigation could be disclosed to numerous journalists and relatives who came to support the accused. […] In the three-story mansion of the head of the city, several weapons were found and seized (they had permission, but an inspection was ordered anyway), numerous watches, jewelry and other luxury items, the cost of which, according to the participants in the event, clearly did not correspond to the official income of the defendant. […]
The officials, and Mr. Magomedov headed the Ministry of Sports of Dagestan from September 2012 to May 2021, when he became the mayor of the city, were accused of theft of tens of millions of rubles allocated for various sporting events. According to Kommersant sources close to the investigation, this is only the beginning of the investigation into the alleged illegal actions of Mr. Magomedov. He will be checked for involvement in bribery, other thefts, and even connections with criminal authorities. — Insert K.ru
The day before, FSB officers detained 66-year-old Magomedov. The security forces are interested in his activities as Minister of Sports of Dagestan from 2012 to 2021. In April 2021, he became the head of Kizilyurt.
Izvestia.Ru, 10/04/2023, “Unsportsmanlike behavior: why the mayor of Kizilyurt and the ex-minister were detained”: The Accounts Chamber of Russia had complaints about the work of the republic’s sports sector, in particular during the 2016 audit based on the results of 2015. The results of the audit noted that 95% of all identified violations in the republic’s expenses related to the financing of sports and administrative structures. In particular, the department has never found a football field in the republic, which should have already been put into operation using federal funds.
The Treasury of Dagestan in 2018 indicated that a year earlier the local Ministry of Sports purchased an official car, the cost of which exceeded the established standards by more than three times: instead of 500 thousand rubles, the car was purchased for 1.6 million. At the same time, the Accounts Chamber of Dagestan in 2018 and In 2020, she reported that there were no violations in the activities of the local Ministry of Sports.
But in 2019, the Accounts Chamber of Dagestan found underfunded positions in the region. In particular, funding for the costs of adjusting design estimates for the construction of a sports complex in Makhachkala in the amount of 9.9 million rubles, provided for by the Dagestan state program for the development of physical education and sports, was not provided. In 2020, Magomedov declared an annual income of just over 1.5 million rubles, a garden plot of 1.3 hectares and a residential building with an area of 969.6 square meters. m. – Insertion K.ru
Immediately after the arrest, searches were carried out in Magomedov’s cottage, as well as at his place of work, a source familiar with the circumstances of the arrest told RBC. During the investigation, employee access to the city hall building was limited. Investigators seized all electronic storage media: flash drives, phones, computers. “All this will be sent to Moscow for examination,” the source said.
According to the source, the investigation will have to look into the official’s connections. “It is obvious that this will be followed by other arrests, since, according to the investigation, Magomedov was part of a regional corruption mechanism,” he added. Following the arrest of Magomedov, law enforcement officers interrogated and detained the head of the department of physical culture, sports and reserve training of the Ministry of Sports of Dagestan, Khalitbeg Makhachev.
Vedomosti.Ru, 10/04/2023, “A court in Moscow sent the mayor of Kizilyurt Magomedov to a pre-trial detention center”: The court hearing was held closed to the media and listeners. The investigator asked the judge about this, justifying it as a secret investigation. The prosecutor supported him. His wife and other relatives came to court to support Magomedov. Lawyer Fyodor Bogatyrev told Vedomosti that he considers the charge absurd. “The accusation contains false information, this was investigated and confirmed in court, but was not reflected in the court decision,” the defense lawyer said. The official imprisoned in the pre-trial detention center also categorically denies guilt.
A particularly large amount means that the investigation charges Magomedov with embezzlement of over a million rubles. The more detailed plot of the criminal case is still unknown. Lawyer Bogatyrev, in a conversation with Vedomosti, did not name the exact amount charged to his client, but noted that we are talking about embezzlement of just over a million rubles over a period of several years. […] If the ex-minister’s guilt is proven on the merits in court, Magomedov faces up to ten years in prison. — Insert K.ru
“Ren TV”, 10/04/2023, “The detained mayor of Kizilyurt is suspected of having connections with bandits”: Millions of rubles, weapons and several safes with jewelry were found during a search of the mayor of the Dagestan city of Kizilyurt. […] This four-story mansion with an attic in the center of Makhachkala belongs to a modest Dagestan official. There is a luxury SUV in the yard. It’s much more interesting inside the stone castle. During the search, they found a refrigerator filled to capacity with black caviar. One such jar costs from 50 thousand rubles. However, judging by the collection of jewelry found in the house, Magomedov did not count the money. There are diamonds, branded watches, wads of money and other luxury. […]
Investigators found an entire arsenal in his safes. Rifles, machine guns and ammunition for them. Some weapons are without documents. In the attic there is a billiard table, sports equipment, and a collection of 50 pairs of shoes. […] Magomed Magomedov was once one of the most respected Avars, the largest ethnic group in Dagestan. […] Law enforcement officers have information about Magomedov’s involvement not only in corruption. In the early 2000s, he collaborated with terrorists. According to our information, he may also be accused of aiding the former leader of the Dagestan bandit underground, Ibragim Gadzhidadaev. The official took criminals into his personal security and actually created a whole gang of thugs. — Insert K.ru
In addition to office equipment and documents, illegally stored weapons and a collection of expensive watches were found in Magomedov’s mansion, the source said.
Life.Ru, 10/04/2023, “Weapons, watches and black caviar: Life publishes a video of a search in the mansion of the mayor of Kizilyurt Magomedov”: Law enforcement officers found documents in the mansion that confirm Magomedov’s participation in the crimes. — Insert K.ru
He also said that the head of Kizilyurt was brought to Moscow in compliance with maximum precautions: he was transported by helicopter. The interlocutor noted that the security forces were faced with the task of quickly removing Magomedov from the region so that he would not have time to connect administrative resources and put pressure on the investigation and possible witnesses.
After Magomedov was detained in Dagestan celebration canceled 60th anniversary of Kizilyurt. The city administration cited the lack of festive mood as the reason for the cancellation.
What is known about the mayor of Kizilyurt
On city administration website it is said that at the beginning of his career Magomedov worked as a freestyle wrestling coach in the Spartak sports society. Then in 1995 he was elected as a deputy of the People’s Assembly of the Republic, and since 1996 he worked in the committee on legislation, legality, government structure and local self-government of the parliament.
Later, Magomedov headed the tax inspectorate and was the head of the Gergebil region. From September 2012 to April 2021, he served as Minister of Physical Education and Sports of Dagestan, and in May 2021, he headed the Kizilyurt city district.
A source close to the government of the republic told RBC that Magomed Magomedov is considered one of the influential heads of districts in Dagestan. He noted that several attempts had been made on his life. In 2005, unknown persons shot up his jeep in Kizilyurt. The investigation and the court recognized the ex-head of the Kizilyurt district Abdurakhman Gadzhiev as the customer. He was Magomedov’s business partner. Then his nephew died, but the official himself was not injured. When Magomedov was the head of the Gergebil region, a radio-controlled bomb went off in a car parked along the route of his motorcade. Magomedov survived, but the passengers of the VAZ-2106 passing by – a husband and wife and their three daughters – died. In criminal circles of the republic, Magomedov is known under the nickname Big Makhach, the source added.
@regpol, 04.10.2023 22:12: 67-year-old Avar Magomedov is known by his nickname “Big Makhach”. He, like many Dagestani politicians, made his career in sports, working as a freestyle wrestling coach in Soviet times. As usual, he then went into business and established relations with the authorities of Dagestan. This allowed Magomedov to be elected as a deputy of the republic’s parliament in 1996 and then in 2000. At the same time, he appeared in Kizilyurt, where for some time he headed the interdistrict tax inspectorate. In 2004, Magomedov was elected head of his native Gergebil district and was re-elected to a second term in 2008. Magomedov traveled in an armored car and he had someone to fear: enemies and competitors made attempts on his life more than once, the most famous attempt happened in 2011.
In 2012, the then head of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov, now working as deputy head of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, made his namesake minister of physical education and sports, which Magomedov served for nine years. During this time, scandals followed scandals in the ministry – fraud was discovered in the supply of sports equipment and fictitious personnel decisions, and in Magomedov’s home district, a children’s and youth sports school was headed by a repeat offender. At the same time, Magomedov tried very hard to ensure that Dagestan athletes showed good results in the native and international sports arena, which made him a valuable personnel. However, it was corruption in the post of minister that now led to Magomedov’s arrest. — Insert K.ru