The case of the ex-head of the Stavropol traffic police. The owner of the house with the "golden toilet bowl" was sentenced

Alexey Safonov, the former head of the Stavropol traffic police, was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony in a corruption case. He was found guilty under the article on bribery by an organized group on an especially large scale — the total amount exceeded 20 million rubles. Safonov was found to own a mansion in which a golden toilet bowl and two dozen other real estate objects attracted media attention. How the case of the "golden traffic cop" developed is in the Izvestia article.

What was Safonov convicted for?

• On Monday, May 12, the Cherkessky City Court of the KCR handed down a verdict in the case of Alexey Safonov, the former head of the traffic police department in the Stavropol Territory, who was sentenced to 20 years in a high—security penal colony with one year's imprisonment and a fine of 100 million rubles. He was also deprived of the right to hold positions in law enforcement agencies for 12 years, in addition, he lost the rank of police colonel. The man was found guilty of allowing heavy trucks unhindered passage through Stavropol for large bribes as part of an organized community created by him. Safonov himself pleaded not guilty.

• Earlier, Alexey Safonov declared himself as an irreconcilable fighter against bribery. During one of the briefings, he complained about negligent colleagues, acknowledging the existence of "domestic corruption."

• Safonov was detained in July 2021 in a bribery case. He was accused of creating and participating in an organized criminal community, accepting bribes, and abusing his official powers. During the investigation, they found a mansion in his house, which the media called the "Stavropol Versailles": the walls were decorated with gold, and there were gold bidets and a toilet in the bathroom — this made Safonov famous on social networks. In total, more than 20 real estate objects were found in the possession of Colonel Safonov and his family.

• Safonov himself justified himself in the courtroom for the interior of his house. According to him, he saved on everything: the famous toilet bowls cost only 8 thousand rubles and were bought at the Makhachkala market, and the paintings — 3 thousand in Pyatigorsk. Even the chandeliers turned out to be plastic instead of crystal.

• According to the case file, from 2013 to 2021, the group organized by Safonov received more than 100 bribes totaling about 21 million rubles. The money was transferred to them for providing unhindered passage of trucks through the region. Drivers received paper "passes", which they attached to the windshield in order to drive through the territory of the region past the traffic police posts. Safonov's services were most often used by grain carriers, as well as sand, crushed stone and other building materials, as they often travel with heavy congestion. Such a pass for a month cost up to 10 thousand rubles.

• Against the background of Safonov's arrest, Major General Sergei Shchetkin, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Stavropol Territory, was also dismissed. The Kremlin considered the case to be the result of a consistent fight against corruption, including in the ranks of law enforcement officers.

• The case also involved employees of the regional traffic inspectorate Vitaly Melchikov, Alexander Arzhanukhin, Alexander Tkachenko, entrepreneurs Elena Melchikova, Evgeny and Alyona Sotnikov, Vladimir Parakhin and Vitaly Gorlov. Most of them have already been convicted. On average, they received from five to six years in prison.

• Two defendants in the case died before the investigation was completed. The suicide was committed by the head of the control and preventive department of the UGIBDD in the Stavropol Territory, Alexander Arzhanukhin, who collected and transferred money to Safonov. Arzhanukhin was detained at about the same time as the former head of the traffic police. Soon he began to testify against Safonov. Safonov himself claims that Arzhanukhin slandered him, as well as another law enforcement officer, Safonov's deputy Alexander Tkachenko. He was ill with cancer and, according to Safonov, Arzhanukhin's testimony was to blame for his death.

What did Safonov and his family own

In an attempt to hide the property, the colonel recorded it on his mother Svetlana, his former wife Irina Safonova, her mother Lydia Gubareva, as well as on his common—law wife Elena Psel. Since 2011, when Safonov became the head of the regional traffic police department, and until his arrest, his relatives acquired property, the price of which greatly exceeds their income. At the same time, they could not provide information about the legitimate sources of funds for which it was purchased. As a result, the court seized the property of Safonov and his relatives for 180 million rubles in favor of the state.

• Safonov himself owned a mansion with an area of 232 square meters. m in the village of Novomaryevskaya, the market value of which exceeds 30 million rubles. The interior of the house is decorated in gold, and the bathroom has a gold-plated toilet and bidet. According to Safonov's brother, the former head of the traffic police lived on the principle of "everything in the house" and constantly helped the family.

• Safonov's mother found a house with an area of 133 square meters on a plot of 895 square meters, as well as a Nissan Qashqai car. He transferred a house with an area of 285 square meters to his ex-wife. on a 600 sq. m plot, two Mercedes-Benz cars — GLE 350D and E 220, as well as a non—residential building with an area of 45 sq. m. The mother of her ex-wife did not stay away - she was purchased two plots of 496 sq. m. a house of 685 sq. m. and 500 sq. m., as well as a house of 685 sq. m. The common-law wife owned part of a shopping and office center, three non-residential premises and three apartments in Stavropol. In addition, she owned an apartment in an elite residential complex in St. Petersburg, BMW X6 and X cars, a Toyota Camry and a house with an area of 449 square meters. m on a plot of 812 sq . m .

• However, all this property could not have been acquired legally. From 2008 to 2021, Safonov officially earned only 12.2 million rubles, his mother — 83 thousand, ex-wife — 2.7 million, former mother—in—law - 2.4 million and common-law wife - 811 thousand. That is, their total income amounted to about 18 million rubles. This amount would not even be enough to buy all the cars.