Student's tribute: teachers of "Baumanki" branch were caught on extortions
Four former teachers of the Mytishchi branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University are under investigation, accused of bribing students. Izvestia looked into the details.
Where it began
Corruption investigation against a teacher of the Mytishchi branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University began in September of this year. To date, three more of his colleagues and an intermediary who passed money from students are under investigation - he is on an international wanted list.
According to a source in law enforcement agencies, the investigated were engaged in extortion from students since 2019. The bribe was taken for admission to the session, passing credits, passing exams and for the unimpeded defense of the thesis. The size of a single bribe amounted to several thousand rubles.
According to the investigation, the intermediary, 45-year-old businessman Aslambek Ortsuev, came to the attention of the law enforcement agencies. He is on an international wanted list. According to the Russian law enforcers, he is in China, and now the question of his extradition is being discussed. Initially, Dmitry Levushkin, an associate professor at the Department of Technology and Equipment of Forestry Production, was suspected of corruption, to whom Ortsuev allegedly passed money.
According to a law enforcement source, two students testified against Levushkin, who had to pay him to solve the problem of admission to the exam and get a positive mark. After the investigation was launched, the police found other teachers of the branch, who were also suspected of corruption schemes. In particular, the case involves Alexander Mukhin. With Levushkin they are united by the fact that both of them once worked at the Moscow State Forest University. It was with forestry engineering subjects that many students of the Mytishchi branch most often had difficulties. Also under investigation are former head of the laboratory of the Department of Linguistics Tatiana D. and associate professor of the Department of Technology and Equipment of Forestry Production Natalia K.
Student solver
As the investigation believes, Ortsuev from April 2019 to April 2023 systematically "solved problems" with the studies of six students - transferred illegal remuneration from them to the teachers. Initially, the investigation had information about more than 20 episodes of transferring bribes to teachers. Each of the students transferred to the intermediary from 50 to 170 thousand rubles for the entire period of "cooperation".
Witnesses and teachers gave detailed testimony. In addition, some of the transactions were controlled by operatives - the police have records of telephone conversations of suspects and witnesses. At the moment, the investigation has identified at least 45 students who transferred illegal remuneration to teachers, the total amount exceeds one million rubles, said a source in law enforcement agencies.
Not the first case
"Russian investigative authorities are currently conducting a probe into several former teachers at the Mytishchi branch of the N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, but the university has no information about the progress of the investigation, the charges brought, the number of victims or possible intermediaries," the university said in a response to Izvestia's request. It emphasized that the man surnamed Ortsuev had never been employed at the Mytishchi branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
"Earlier signals about unfair actions of the mentioned or other teachers were not received, otherwise the management of Bauman Moscow State Technical University would have immediately initiated a service check of the appeal," - noted in the MSTU.
Also "Izvestia" was informed that Bauman Moscow State Technical University and its branches implement anti-corruption policy in accordance with the recommendations of the legislation of the Russian Federation, the national anti-corruption plan for 2021-2024, orders of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
"The official website of Bauman Moscow State Technical University has a section dedicated to prevention and combating corruption. There are also contacts and feedback form for reporting such facts. All incoming appeals from students or their parents are immediately reported to the university management in order to take appropriate measures," the university told Izvestia.
The press service assured that the university is constantly working to identify and suppress unlawful acts. As an example cited a similar current situation in 2022. Then on the anti-corruption protocol of the university administration became aware of possible illegal actions of several teachers.
"Based on the results of the service inspection, the university management decided to transfer the information to law enforcement agencies. The perpetrators were brought to the responsibility established by law."
They are silent, afraid for the diploma
- Students are forced to hand over certain amounts of money for passing credits, exams, successful completion of a session or academic practice and so on. As a rule, the collection of money is organized through intermediaries, for example, heads of groups, laboratory assistants, etc. And students who refuse to participate in such "events", as a rule, pass the credit or exam not from the first or even the seventh time, - said lawyer Zhanna Ulybina.
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has repeatedly confirmed that a teacher can be held criminally liable for an official offense, including bribery. For this purpose, the court must establish that the teacher performed the functions of an official and the content of these functions.
- Courts, including the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, recognize teachers as subjects of official crimes, in particular teachers of state educational institutions, heads of university departments, etc. A teacher, when receiving a bribe for actions (inaction) in the performance of his labor functions - making the necessary grades in the academic record or credit book and so on - commits a crime under Article 290, Article 291.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
If a teacher is not vested with these powers, he will not be considered an official, and even if it is proved that he received money from students, he may not be held criminally liable under Article 290 of the Criminal Code, says the lawyer.
- It is practically impossible to prove that university professors are unscrupulous without the students themselves being interested in it," Ulybina believes. - In my practice, there have been cases when investigating authorities invited students who had already graduated long ago and questioned them on the fact of extortion, but they did not want to provide such information, fearing that their diplomas would be canceled.
