A Moscow court has sentenced former top police general Sergei Umnov and several high-ranking Interior Ministry officials to lengthy prison terms for running a multimillion-ruble bribery scheme.
12 Years in Prison and Loss of Rank
The Khamovniki District Court found Umnov, former head of the St. Petersburg police directorate and later assistant to the Interior Minister, guilty of receiving exceptionally large bribes. He was sentenced to 12 years in a strict-regime penal colony, stripped of his rank of police lieutenant general, and banned from holding government posts for ten years.
Other Senior Officials Sentenced
His subordinates, Major Generals Aleksei Semenov and Ivan Abakumov, received 10.5 and 11.5 years respectively. Abakumov was additionally fined 25 million rubles, while Semenov received a 10 million ruble fine. Both were stripped of their ranks and banned from public service for a decade.
Judge Marina Filchenko ordered the confiscation of luxury watches, including Rolex and Balmain models, as well as a collection of rare weapons and uniforms such as SS and Luftwaffe gear, a German officer’s saber from 1848, and sabers of the 1935 German armed forces.
Other Defendants and Harsh Penalties
Elena Kopyeva, former head of the legal department of the traffic police in the region, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, fined 10 million rubles, stripped of her rank as police lieutenant colonel, and banned from government service for 10 years.
Businessmen Vladimir Platonov, Oleg Ivanov, Andrei Tsarnets, and Nadezhda Smirnova received sentences of between 8 and 8.5 years. Smirnova, convicted of giving bribes, was fined 2 million rubles.
The Bribery Scheme
Investigators said Umnov headed a criminal group that operated from 2013. He allegedly created a fund under the guise of supporting police programs, which was used to channel bribes from businesses seeking favorable treatment and contract extensions. These firms provided paid services for vehicle registration, technical inspections, and number checks.
Lavish Spending of Illegal Funds
Over six years, the fund collected around 65 million rubles. According to the Investigative Committee, the money financed luxury cars, including a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 and Toyota Camry, fitness club memberships for senior police officers, and lavish renovations such as an 800,000-ruble bathroom for Umnov’s office. Funds also covered banquets and celebrations.
Despite the evidence, neither Umnov nor his co-defendants admitted guilt, insisting on their innocence throughout the trial.
