The Moscow City Court "lost" the State Duma deputy accused in the case of a bribe of three billion

Alexander Dybin

The database of the court noted that the meeting was postponed three times due to the absence of the accused. In addition, the website of the State Duma notes that Belousov has not voted at plenary meetings since June 9. Colleagues of the deputy said that they had not seen Belousov in the Duma for about a week and a half

As Novye Izvestia was informed by the press service of the Moscow City Court, the trial is being postponed due to the illness of the accused: Belousov himself and his mother-in-law Margarita Butakova, who is also being accused in the case.

“The debate is postponed due to the illness of either Butakova or Belousov, who provided the court with relevant certificates,” the court clarified, “as soon as they return, the court will move on to debate”.

At the same time, the court refused to comment on the information that Belousov might be abroad.

“We have information that they are ill, but the verdict can also be passed in absentia”, - the court concluded.

Surrounded by Belousov, who heads the Udmurt branch of A Just Russia, they said that the information about his departure was unreliable.

“This is incorrect information, we have a conference scheduled for July 2, and he plans to be there”, - the interlocutor of Novye Izvestia said, “but now Vadim Vladimirovich is in the hospital, underwent surgery, but already feels good. This is a political order, if he was to blame for something, he would have been imprisoned 12 years ago”.

Novye Izvestia managed to get through to Vadim Belousov himself, who denied the information about his departure.

“How can I prove to you that I am in Russia? Send a selfie against the backdrop of the Kremlin? - said the deputy, - I am in Moscow, I don’t go to court, because there are reasons: health problems. I still do not admit guilt, have not changed my position and will not change.

Earlier, the state prosecution requested a sentence for Belousov in the form of imprisonment for a period of 14 years in a strict regime colony, as well as a fine of 500,000,000 rubles. For his 80-year-old mother-in-law Margarita Butakova, the prosecution asks for a 4-year imprisonment in a penal colony and a fine of half a billion rubles.

Vadim Belousov has Chelyabinsk roots. He is a partner of the ex-governor of the region Mikhail Yurevich, co-owner of the well-known food company Makfa. A few years ago, after the resignation from the post of governor of the Chelyabinsk region, a criminal case was initiated against Yurevich, but the ex-governor was able to leave for London. Yurevich was accused, among other things, of taking a large bribe for patronage during a large-scale road construction. After Yurevich's flight, a similar charge was brought against Vadim Belousov, who had never worked in the regional government. He was charged with receiving 3 billion rubles for patronage during the execution of road contracts. His 80-year-old mother-in-law Margarita Butakova, who worked as a chief accountant in one of the Makfa structures, was, according to investigators, an intermediary.

Interestingly, a few days ago, A Just Russia decided to nominate Belousov for the post of head of the Republic of Udmurtia. In terms of timing, the election campaign may coincide with the sentencing of Belousov. The deputy admitted to Novye Izvestiya that he sees no risks for the election campaign.

“The party nominated me, and I am going. I don’t worry about the campaign, court cases will not interfere with it”, - Belousov said.