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The prosecutor said that Tsokov exploited General Popov's passion for gambling
On October 16, the Tambov Garrison Military Court held its first hearing in the case of former commander of the 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, and businessman Sergei Moiseyev, accused of fraud and document forgery. TASS, citing the general's lawyer, Sergei Buinovsky, reported that the trial was being held publicly.
At the beginning of the hearing, Popov filed a motion to the presiding judge, Dmitry Letunovsky, to object.
"The court hearing established circumstances that give [reason] to believe that Judge Dmitry Letunovsky is personally interested in the outcome of this criminal case. The actions of the presiding [judge] clearly demonstrate his biased attitude towards me and his readiness to convict me. "I ask that Judge Letunovsky's appeal be granted," the general said.
He also noted that the court does not adhere to objectivity and fairness and does not administer "justice" to him. The general said that at the final court hearing, which was held behind closed doors, Judge Letunovsky prepared in advance the volume of criminal cases requested by the state prosecutors, "having prepared the necessary bookmarks."
According to Popov, this indicates that the prosecutor's office discussed with the judge the general's motion to extend house arrest and the volume of criminal cases and case materials required for this even before the hearing. The former commander's lawyer fully supported him.
The second defendant in the case, businessman Moiseyev, and his lawyer Andrei Surov spoke out against Popov. According to Surov, he sees no reason to avoid this.
Judge Dmitry Letunovsky ultimately rejected his motion to dismiss. The court also rejected the general's motion to bring military blogger Yuri Podolyaka to the hearing as a public defender.
The judge said: "The petition is denied for lack of legal education."
At the hearing, the prosecutor read out the indictment, and it turned out that the criminal group that included Popov and Moiseyev was organized by Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov.
"O. Lieutenant General (Oleg Tsokov. — Gazeta.Ru) realized his criminal intent and acknowledged Popov's passion for gambling, namely betting on the outcome of sporting events through bookmakers and the constant use of borrowed funds for these purposes... With a bribe in the form of a promise to transfer Geely cars worth more than 4 million rubles for use by Popov and his wife for further receipt of funds after the sale of the stolen property," the state prosecutor said.
Earlier, Kommersant reported that General Popov lost about 30 million rubles in bets on the Winline platform. Law enforcement officers found out this information by examining the phone seized from the former commander during the search. The investigation established that this amount was part of the funds Popov obtained fraudulently.
Having bribed Popov, Tsokov convinced him to join Moiseyev's group and developed a criminal plan. According to the prosecutor's office, together they stole metal structures worth at least 114.56 million rubles. Deceiving the high command and the military-civil administration of the Zaporizhzhya region. The criminal groups committed thefts in Melitopol, Berdyansk, Tula, Balashikha, Dmitrov, Moscow and other cities of Russia. They lasted about 6 months.
Ivan Popov, who had previously pleaded not guilty, also stated at the hearing that he was not involved in the theft.
"At this point, 99% of the information released by the prosecution does not apply to me, but the meaning and content of the accusation are clear. "I do not plead guilty," the complaint says.
On the contrary, businessman Sergei Moiseev noted that he understood the accusation, fully admitting his guilt in the crime.
General Oleg Chokov was killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on the 58th Army Reserve command post in July 2023 while serving as deputy commander of the Southern Military District. He was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Russia. The criminal case against him was dropped in July 2024.
The next hearings in the Popov and Moiseyev cases are scheduled for October 17 and 18. Because information containing national secrets is being disclosed, they will be held in private.