Kaluga maneuver: Olga Mirimskaya's transfer to a new colony may result in "conditional" freedom

Behind the barbed wire of the women's correctional colony No. 7 in the Kaluga region, another episode of the high-profile case of one of the richest women in the country is unfolding. Olga Mirimskaya, who was convicted of systemic corruption for 19 years, was unexpectedly transferred from the Ivanovo Region to the Kaluga region. According to Izvestia experts, this, at first glance, an ordinary event, upon closer examination, looks like part of a plan to minimize the actual serving of a sentence.

From the colony to the director's chair

The key to this scheme, according to lawyers, is the geographical location of the colony. The main production facilities, the Detchino production site, which belong to Mirimskaya, are located just 40 kilometers from the new colony. Some sources, on condition of anonymity, claim that the businesswoman convicted of bribery has other enterprises in the Kaluga region, presumably unrelated to the main business.

The logistics of the transfer itself raises questions: if it were a question of the right to serve her sentence closer to her place of residence, the convict would have been transferred to a colony near Mozhaisk, and not to the Kaluga region. The choice of a place of imprisonment, located in close proximity to the assets of a business empire, looks more than strange.

Prosecutorial kindness

The maneuver with the transfer of Mirimskaya from one colony to another takes place against the background of another high—profile event - an unexpected move by the prosecutor's office. A little over a month ago, the supervisory authority, whose direct function is to demand tougher penalties, came up with a different initiative.: cut Mirimskaya's 19-year sentence in half. Experts do not understand the motivation behind such a request, especially given the severity of the crimes.

Considering that Olga Mirimskaya is accused of four counts of paying a particularly large bribe, the prosecutor's office's demands for a two-fold reduction in her sentence is another strange episode in the case.

Imaginary difficulties

At the same time, Mirimskaya's defense is seeking an installment payment of a fine of 400 million rubles, imposed by the court. Formally, this requirement fits into the legal field.

"This is stipulated by law. Installments can be provided for up to five years, in case of a difficult financial situation, inability to pay in a lump sum. We are asking for three years," Mirimskaya's lawyers say.

However, the argument about the billionaire's "difficult financial situation" looks untenable against the background of the fact that back in 2022, the court seized her property. Premium cars, land plots, houses and a stake in the bank are estimated at several billion rubles. Moreover, Mirimskaya's business continues to operate successfully. And one of the ways to repay the fine could be the proceeds of Mirimskaya enterprises. One of its plants is located in Moscow and earned more than 4 billion rubles last year.

Multi-pass combination

According to legal experts interviewed by Izvestia, the location of Mirimskaya's enterprise in close proximity to the new colony creates ideal conditions for the implementation of a scheme with correctional labor, in which the convict will formally be registered at the workplace, but in fact - to maintain control over her business. This prospect looks especially cynical against the background of the gravity of the crimes committed: Mirimskaya was found guilty not only of bribing an investigator with two cars, but also of attempting to bribe judges for astronomical sums.

Thus, a multi-way strategy is being built.: under the pretext of "maternal feelings" (which the prosecutor's office suddenly discovered), the sentence was halved, a multibillion-dollar fine was paid in installments, and a transfer to a region where fictitious correctional work could be organized in one's own office to avoid punishment.

The story of Mirimskaya's business success, which back in 2015 ranked 22nd in the list of the richest women in Russia according to Forbes, the reasons for which "one can only guess," as the Izvestia source noted earlier, gets its logical continuation in attempts to avoid responsibility through the use of legal loopholes and corruption schemes.

A dangerous precedent

If the court agrees with this position, experts say, such a decision could set a dangerous precedent. And Olga Mirimskaya, who systematically violated the law and was accused of financing the Right Sector organization banned in Russia, will be able to apply for parole after the New Year holidays. Experts fear that such an outcome may signal that for representatives of a certain circle, even criminal punishment turns into a formality that can be circumvented with the help of a well-designed scheme.