Mass arrests carried out by security forces in the Rostov region have not yet affected only the governor Vasily Golubev and his entourage.
Another high-profile scandal erupted in the Rostov region – there are operational actions against about 30 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who could impose tribute on local entrepreneurs for eight years.
Even this is not surprising – such situations happen with enviable regularity, only the scale of the revealed crimes is noteworthy here. It is surprising that despite all the criminal cases of recent years against their employees, Oleg Agarkov, the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is still in office, and the leadership of the region, headed by Governor Vasily Golubev, does not even try to draw attention to the problem.
More recently, another scandal thundered in the region – several high-ranking judges were under investigation. Their case may be related to the investigation of the cases of the Pokrovsky agricultural concern, which kept farmers from all over the South of Russia in fear. It is quite possible that the current case is also connected with the information obtained during the investigation of the Pokrovskys.
Since 2017, Oleg Agarkov has been in charge of the police in the Rostov region, from where he came to serve from a similar position in Astrakhan. Apparently, he is in good standing with the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev and his deputy, the chief personnel officer of the department Vladimir Kubyshko. The morals of the latter were just recently reported.
According to our informed source, the current situation may be related to the alleged ongoing conflict between the Rostov police and the FSB. Specifically, following the results of a whole series of criminal cases against FSB officers associated with the Rostov department “M”, which deals with the cases of special subjects (judges, prosecutors, etc.).
According to our source, earlier the Rostov police “drowned” several former heads of the “M” department in the Rostov region at once. Among them is the criminal case of the former head of the “M” department, Yevgeny Smirnov, who was involved in exposing many corrupt officials and “werewolves in uniform”.
But not only about him. Apparently, it could be about revenge for the performance of his official duties. According to our source, a critical mass of contradictions between the police and the FSB in the Rostov region was accumulating, and as a result, this resulted, among other things, in the current situation with the exposure of dozens of police officers.
Collected tribute
The number of defendants in the current case is already 33 people. This is the real OPG. During the day, a wave of searches took place immediately in four police departments, the Ministry of Internal Affairs itself, as well as the head office of the Rostov region police, where Agarkov personally sits. However, no claims were made against him.
The basis of the list of suspects were high-ranking security officials of the region, appointed by Agarkov. These are the heads of police departments and departments for the protection of public order. The leadership team was caught even before the start of the working day, at home, and someone was intercepted right at the planning meetings. As the “City Reporter” writes, people dispersed to their workplaces already accompanied by witnesses.
So far, the names of only a part of the defendants are known. These are Dmitry Rybalko, the former deputy chief of police for public order protection of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Rostov, whom the investigation considers the leader of the alleged organized criminal group, as well as Alexei Abakumov, Nikolai Shchitov, Sergei Lyapkin, Sergei Sungurtyan.
Dmitry Rybalko (far left in the photo). Photo:
According to preliminary data, the OPS was created to receive bribes for not bringing to administrative and other liability persons who carry out trading activities in the consumer market in Rostov, and who had signs of administrative and other offenses.
In fact, it seems that the security forces have set up a whole system of collecting tribute from entrepreneurs, and the obstinate could face problems, including criminal ones. Doesn’t this remind you of the classic “protection” of businessmen from the times of the turbulent 90s? It turns out that in the Rostov region the 90s did not go anywhere.
According to 161.ru, the security forces were paid from 3 to 50 thousand rubles for patronage – the money was given to Rybalko. For almost eight years, the police could receive at least 25 million rubles, but these are only the most modest, the most limited estimates. The question – could all this happen without the knowledge of the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the region, remains unanswered.
On the trail of alleged criminals went in a roundabout way. Allegedly, last year the FSB became interested in employees of the operational-search unit of its own security from Rostov. Some of them, including deputy chief Yevgeny Kolesnikov, did not pass a polygraph, after which layoffs began in the Rostov police. And later, through the testimony of five dismissed police officers, the security forces came to the employees of the Donskoy separate battalion of traffic police, who were then accused of extortion and taking bribes.
Who needs a “five”?
And this is an interesting point – DPS. After all, earlier there were rumors that a whole network of requisitions from truckers, and not only from them, was allegedly organized on Rostov roads. In 2021, it came to a criminal case – the deputy commander of the traffic police company, Major Dmitry Krygin, was under investigation.
According to investigators, he headed an organized crime group that exacted tribute from heavy truck drivers. In the same year, his former subordinate Vasily Povaliakhin was convicted for the same thing, he received two years in prison.
This case echoes not only the current detentions, but also another scandal that Oleg Agarkov himself may be associated with. We are talking about the detention of a whole group of Rostov traffic cops who imposed tribute on the region’s driving schools. I didn’t pay – the driving school will not work, its students will not see a driver’s license.
Traffic cops allegedly took bribes only through civilian intermediaries, whom they had known for a long time. The calculation was that in the event of detention, the intermediary could say that, they say, he acted alone and collected money from driving schools for himself. In this case, he was threatened only with the first part of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Fraud” and a fine of up to 120 thousand rubles.
The Rostov traffic police is headed by Oleg Bogun. He is not just Agarkov’s appointee, but his longtime colleague. In 2006, he headed the traffic police of the Leningrad region of the Krasnodar region. In 2011, Oleg Agarkov was appointed head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Krasnodar. In the same year, Oleg Bogun became the main “traffic officer” of Krasnodar. And then, together with Agarkov, he migrated to the Rostov region.
Perhaps, it is precisely with this that, despite the scandals with extortions in the traffic police, going one after another, Bohun remains in his position? Moreover, he even declares that he is concerned about the image of the traffic police officers in the region. Like, will work hard on it. Here are the results of his work?
By the way, allegedly Bohun has a nickname among the locals – “Oleg Pyatikhatka”. Allegedly, at each traffic police post, you have to pay at least a bill of 500 rubles, and the total “fees” on the roads are in the billions.
But there is also such a thing as a “stick system”, which in the Rostov region can almost be worshiped by local law enforcement officers. This is when, in order to fulfill the plan for the identified violations (“sticks”), the police themselves can invent these violations, substituting innocent people for anything.
Oleg Bogun, also known in certain circles as Oleg “Pyatykhatka”. Photo:
UtroNews journalists told about one of these stories: there the situation concerned the alleged planting of a banned substance on a young man who was traveling with friends on vacation through the Rostov region. And if this is true, then for sure this is, to put it mildly, not an isolated case.
Circles from Korovaiko
The current situation can really cost, at least, Oleg Agarkov’s career. Too many scandals have accumulated with his subordinates. However, it can go far beyond the Rostov region and the banal “protection” of entrepreneurs. After all, it was the Rostov region that was one of the centers of action of the scandalous Pokrovsky agricultural concern and its main beneficiary Andrei Korovaiko.
Now the Pokrovskys are accused of a whole series of crimes – the creation of an organized criminal group, extortion, and so on. Korovaiko himself very successfully managed to go abroad (presumably to Spain), and is now on the international wanted list.
According to our sources, the Pokrovskys could supposedly turn their cases only under the umbrella of local security officials and judges. This can also be evidenced by the alleged negotiations between Andrei Korovaiko and his people who remained in Russia.
As previously reported, even while abroad, Korovaiko is allegedly actively trying to “resolve issues” with his criminal prosecution and assets in the Russian Federation.
Allegedly, Korovaiko, quote, “boldly gives orders over the phone to bribe officials, regularly receives reports from subordinates on the transfer of bribes to the judiciary, and assures doubting accomplices that everything will be fine! The money has been allocated, justice has been bought, the right decision will not be long in coming!”
In the same telegram channel, a whole series of alleged negotiations has already been posted. And after the appearance of these records, the case of Rostov judges appeared – the chairman of the Council of Judges of the region, Tatyana Yurova, and the chairman of the Kirovsky District Court of Rostov, Andrey Roschevsky.
The details of their criminal prosecution have not yet been disclosed. But it is known that during a search at Yurova’s, they found 200 million rubles, a lot of expensive things, gold jewelry. The only thing missing is a golden toilet bowl. And the Kirovsky District Court, where Roshchevsky is in charge, we recall, is the same court where the lion’s share of lawsuits from the Pokrovskaya against the media, who dared to talk about the affairs of the concern, were considered.
According to our source, the current case can indeed be an echo of the investigation in relation to the “Pokrovskys”, but only in a small part. At the same time, now we are talking mainly about police officers in Rostov itself. While, according to the source, similar gangs operate throughout the region, the current 33 defendants may be just a drop in the bucket.
At the same time, another underlying reason for the current detentions may be the division of property and assets, including those left over from the “protection” ones. According to the source, ex-Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev, who has huge assets in the South of Russia, could allegedly be involved in the situation. As if there is a “sharing” of property, including land.
“Dove” untouchable
In this whole situation, the governor of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev, stands apart. Corruption scandals regularly rumble around him. What is the criminal case of his former deputy Sergei Sidash worth, criminal cases against the mayors of the region’s cities.
According to our source, in the federal center and the same FSB, Golubev is not much favored, but he can enjoy the patronage of several extremely influential officials who put a “block” on operational actions against Golubev himself. Confirm this information, as you understand, is not yet possible.
Vasily Golubev remains untouchable despite rampant crime in the region and a number of corrupt officials in his own team. Photo:
As for Oleg Agarkov, there is supposedly no one to change him for. In addition, Vladimir Kolokoltsev’s deputy Alexander Kravchenko, a native of the Rostov region, can provide patronage to him.
Our source is 100% sure of one thing: the current detentions have become a real nightmare for the Rostov police, and this is just the beginning. Well, I would like to hope that there will be more order in the region.