The Tambov garrison military court received complaints of defense of Ivan Popov
“Kommersant” became the details of the complaints of the administration of the Zaporizhzhya region to the sentence in the criminal case of the former commander of the 58th Army Ivan Popov. He was sentenced to five years for the theft of metal allocated by the region for the construction of defensive structures, and deprived of the general rank. Representatives of the regional authorities note that they were not disposed of with metal, but the State Unitary Enterprise “Volunteer Battalion named after P. A. Sudoplatov”, which was not recognized as the victims. In addition, the remnants of metal structures attached to the case were returned not to the owner in the person of the GUP, but transferred to the military. The authorities, like the defenders of Mr. Popov, in connection with serious violations, demand a new trial in the case.
The Tambov garrison military court received complaints of defense of Ivan Popov, his alleged accomplice of entrepreneur Sergey Moiseev (convicted with the general for fraud for four years), as well as the administration of the Zaporizhzhya region, which was recognized as a victim in a criminal case.
In the document, according to Kommersant, representatives of the regional authorities explained in detail the origin of the metal, which, as the court established, was abducted by the gentlemen of Popov, Moiseev and former deputy commander of the troops of the Southern Military District, Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov (criminal prosecution was terminated after death during his own, was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia).
According to the victims, in March 2023, then the acting governor of the Zaporizhzhya region, Evgeny Balitsky, received an application from the commander of the 58th Army of Ivan Popov for the acquisition of various goods, including 1.5 thousand tons of metal, « necessary to strengthen the positions of troops in the Zaporizhzhya direction and prevent the breakthrough of the front of the Armed Forces on this site. »
The application was approved by the Defense Committee of the Military-Civil Administration of the region, transferring to the State Unitary Enterprise « Volunteer Battalion named after P. A. Sudoplatov. »
It should be noted that this is the Yurlito created by the administration, which, according to its charter, activities in order to ensure defense and protect the interests of citizens.
In March-June of 2023, the State Unitary Enterprise entered into two agreements with Import Plus LLC, and another with LLC Trading House Spectrum, within which goods worth 133 million 564 thousand 700 rubles were purchased for the needs of the 58th Army. And on the basis of acts of acceptance and transfer, the military is provided.
The “goods”, which have become the subject of the alleged crime, was said in the complaint, the State Unitary Enterprise was disposed of, which used the subsidies assigned to their purchase, and not the administration of the region, which was recognized as the victim in the case. Consequently, the document says, it is the volunteer battalion that is the victim « in this criminal case, and not the Russian Federation represented by the Zaporizhzhya region. »
In addition, it is noted that in the resolving part of the sentence, the court incorrectly determined the fate of material evidence, in particular, metal distribution products that were transferred to the Russian Ministry of Defense, and not the Zaporizhzhya region. According to the authors of the document, this « also indicates the contradictions of their conclusions not eliminated by the court to actual circumstances of the case. » The verdict, we recall, it is said that the counter -offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was reflected in the Zaporizhzhya region, but the military sold excess metal through Mr. Moiseev, and the proceeds in the amount of 103 million 668 thousand 419 rubles. 01 kopecks. stole.
Lawyers are asking for the verdict of the garrison military court of April 24 of this year to cancel and transfer the criminal case for a new proceedings in a different composition of the court.
Lawyer Sergei Buinovsky noted Kommersant that he fully supports the complaint of the victim, as he also considers him “illegal and unreasonable”. The defense appealed the court decision, insisting on the absence of an event of a crime itself, but the trial in the second Western District Military Court has not yet been appointed. Ivan Popov himself, through the defender, thanked the governor of Balitsky for the « support and the manifested civil courage. »
