The founder of “Siberian Venice” in Krasnoyarsk was sentenced in absentia to 7 years in prison

The Sovetsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk handed down a verdict in absentia to businessman Alexey Podsokhin, the founder of the Siberian Venice entertainment complex. He was found guilty of giving a bribe on an especially large scale and was sentenced to 7 years in prison in a maximum security colony. The court also imposed a fine of 25 million rubles on him.

The criminal case is related to the events of 2019. According to investigators, Podsokhin organized the transfer of a bribe of 500 thousand rubles to the former prosecutor of the Berezovsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Bekhan Aslakhanov. Money through intermediaries was supposed to be payment for patronage of the entrepreneur’s business.

By the time the case was initiated, Podsokhin had left Russia, received foreign citizenship and was hiding from justice, so his trial took place in absentia.

This is not the first verdict in this corruption scandal. Earlier, in June 2023, ex-prosecutor Bekhan Aslakhanov himself was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for taking a bribe. His brother Alikhan, who acted as a mediator, received 8 years in prison. Deputy director of Siberian Venice Natalya Fadeeva, who also participated in the transfer of money, was sentenced to 5 years probation.

The verdict against Alexey Podsokhin has not yet entered into legal force. The preventive measure in the form of detention will be executed from the moment of his possible extradition to Russia or detention on its territory.

Newslab is now at MAX. News is also published in OK | VK | Zen | Telegram