Judge jailed for trying to ruin drug dealer case

A fabulous fine of 26 million rubles will have to be paid to former criminal judge of the Lytkarinsky City Court Sergei Kotov, who was found guilty on Monday of accepting a bribe. However, this is not the most distressing news for the demoted servant of Themis: rather, he is more upset by the prospect of spending the next 9 years in places not so remote.

As MK once reported, Kotov was detained in January 2021, and FSB officers actually stormed the courthouse. The lawyer in the robe was suspected of receiving as much as 13 million for a lenient sentence to a suspect in the sale of drugs, weapons and interaction with organized crime groups. According to investigators, lawyer Irina Kuvakina brought money for him. The lawyer promised the client that she would be able to break up the case for a substantial bribe and, in general, she “holds the prosecutor’s office by the balls.” True, the bribe-takers were exposed at the stage of transferring money to the lawyer. She agreed to cooperate with the investigation, brought Judge Kotov an impressive tranche to the toilet room of the court, after which the briber was detained. Kotov assured that everything that happened was a provocation, he was not going to take the money and left it on the windowsill, and the guilty verdict was actually written.

The process itself was accompanied by many scandals and even violence. The first lawyer of the drug dealer, Elena Ponomareva, when she refused to give the necessary testimony to the huckster, was doused with brilliant green (the perpetrators were detained, they are awaiting trial). But the Mosoblsud sent Kotov and Kuvakina to a colony. The ex-judge will spend 9 years in a strict regime, the ex-lawyer – 5.5 years in a general regime, plus a fine in the amount of the amount of the bribe.