Moscow’s top court has taken a decisive step in a high-profile bribery case involving a staggering 2,718 BTC, equivalent to $74,457,707. Dmitry Gubin, formerly a leading investigator for Moscow’s Tverskoy district, now finds himself at the center of this storm. Consequently, the court has issued an arrest warrant for Gubin, citing allegations of his involvement in this massive bribery scandal.
The charges against Gubin are severe. He’s accused under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with receiving large-scale bribes. Additionally, he faces accusations under Part 1 of Article 286, which pertains to the abuse of official powers. Significantly, there’s growing concern that Gubin may have fled the country. Hence, international law enforcement agencies have been alerted and are now on the lookout for him.
However, Gubin isn’t the only figure embroiled in this controversy. Kristina Lyakhovenko, once under Gubin’s supervision, was arrested in September over her alleged involvement. Moreover, Marat Tambiev, the former head of the investigative department of the Tverskoy District Committee, has been in pre-trial detention since 2022.
Investigators suggest that these individuals formed a criminal group. Their primary modus operandi? Accepting bribes from those involved in various criminal cases. The most significant of these bribes was a transfer of 2,718.6 BTC in December 2021. This transaction, believed to be from the hacker group “In Fraud Organization,” was allegedly to prevent the seizure of their assets.
In a related development, a Moscow court seized 1,032.1 BTC from Tambiev in July, declaring the assets state income. Interestingly, Tambiev’s computer revealed access codes to two cryptocurrency accounts. These were found in a folder humorously named “Pension.” The remaining cryptocurrency is suspected to be with Lyakhovenko and Gubin.
Additionally, claims are that the accused deliberately hid information about 5,212.9 BTC in the hackers’ wallets. They allegedly created inspection reports that falsely declared these wallets empty of cryptocurrency.
State Attorney, Vadim Bagaturia, who has also highlighted another concern. There is a mysterious absence of 654 BTC from the entire bribery case. He pointed out discrepancies in handwritten notes on Tambiev’s computer, casting doubt on the evidence’s authenticity.
