The prosecution asked to be sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime colony and a fine of 200 million rubles. former CEO of Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod LLC Vyacheslav Yugay. He is accused of receiving kickbacks from contractors. According to the case file, the manager, through his subordinates, collected bribes from suppliers with money and things – coffee makers, TVs, Apple gadgets, and even a bath barrel. Vyacheslav Yugay did not plead guilty to any of the twelve episodes of the charge and stated that during the investigation he slandered himself under the threat of criminal prosecution of his wife. The episode with her fictitious employment in the organization also appears in the criminal case.
In the Nizhny Novgorod District Court, the debate of the parties on the high-profile criminal case of the former General Director of Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod, Vyacheslav Yugay, began. He was charged with 12 episodes related to receiving money from contractors of the gas transportation company and fictitious employment of his wife Elena Yugay as a leading labor organization manager. As Kommersant previously wrote, bribes from contractors, according to investigators, were transferred to Mr. Yugay through the then supply manager of Konstantin Minikh LLC and supply service workers Oleg Podanovich and Denis Kozlov.
In order to receive kickbacks, the supplying companies were created deliberately unrealizable conditions for the performance of contracts.
Fearing sanctions from the customer and inclusion in the register of unscrupulous suppliers, merchants agreed to give 1-3% of the amount of contracts. The total amount of kickbacks received in 2016-2020, according to investigators, exceeded 6 million rubles. At the same time, intermediaries transferred to Mr. Yugay not only cash, but also expensive things – Apple smartphones and tablets, Samsung plasma TVs, coffee makers and even a bath tub.
According to the investigation, Vyacheslav Yugay instructed Oleg Podanovich to negotiate the requisitions, and he sent the order to Denis Kozlov, who, under various pretexts, set “tasks” for counterparties. For example, smartphones were required as gifts for the 60th anniversary of Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod.
Konstantin Minikh kept money at his place and spent it on various needs only with the permission of the boss, to whom he hung donated TVs in the corporate apartment and office reception room, and brought a coffee maker similar to the one he had at home to the rest room. In 2020, when the intermediary once again came to the CEO’s office with a box of iPhones, he was detained by the security forces.
Representatives of GTS Energo, Uralsibstroyproekt, FSK and FSK-Proekt, Tekhmashprom, Gazneftemash and other contractors testified about the offerings.
The public prosecutor in the debate stressed that at the stage of the investigation, all the defendants in the criminal case, both the general director and his three subordinates, confessed and agreed to cooperate: they uncovered the criminal scheme and exposed each other. Subordinates of Vyacheslav Yugay said that they agreed to collect offerings from counterparties, fearing to lose their jobs. As a result, Konstantin Minikh, Oleg Podanovich and Denis Kozlov, accused of mediation, received suspended sentences with millions of fines as part of deals with the investigation.
Vyacheslav Yugay, already at the stage of the trial, retracted his confession and declared his complete innocence.
He refused to answer the prosecutor’s questions, referring to Art. 51 of the Constitution, which allows not to testify against yourself and loved ones. He also told the court that he had previously pleaded guilty under pressure from the investigator: according to the defendant, he allegedly threatened a criminal case against his wife Elena, who got a job at Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod to maintain continuous work experience before retiring.
The prosecution believes that the employment of Mrs. Yugai was fictitious and took place under the patronage of her husband. To do this, in February 2020, he ordered to accept her as a manager, bypassing the competition provided for by corporate rules.
According to investigators, Vyacheslav Yugay’s subordinates, fearing dismissal, produced a fictitious document stating that his wife needed time to delve into the affairs, which gave her the opportunity not to appear at work. At the same time, an office for Elena Yugay was organized in Moscow without coordination with the head office of Gazprom, and her drivers, who acted as witnesses in court, said that they never took her to work: the woman used official cars for personal purposes. During this time, she received 623 thousand rubles. in the form of a salary, followed from the materials of the case announced in court.
The accused stated that he had nothing to do with the employment of his wife. When the prosecutor asked if Vyacheslav Yugay wanted to compensate the company for the episode with his wife, he again referred to Article 51.
The prosecutor’s office considers the guilt of the former top manager fully proven.
As punishment, the state prosecutor asked for 12 years in a strict regime colony with a fine of 200 million rubles. and an 18-year ban on holding senior positions in state-owned companies. The defense of the defendant did not comment on the requested punishment to Kommersant – Vyacheslav Yugay and his defense will express their position on April 25.
