Tariff bondage: Oleg Chemezov detained in the case of Oblkommunenergo

On Monday, September 29, Oleg Chemezov, the former vice-governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, was detained on suspicion of fraud on a particularly large scale. According to investigators, he participated in the coordination of excessive tariffs of utility companies associated with the energy company Oblkommunenergo. It is known that on September 25, Chemezov was fired after filing a lawsuit by the Prosecutor General's Office to transfer the company's assets to the state. For more information about the case and the defendants, see the Izvestia article.

What is Oleg Chemezov accused of?

Oleg Chemezov, the former deputy governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, was detained on September 29, 2025 in Yekaterinburg. According to media reports, he was detained at the police department, where he appeared on a summons.

Lawyer Mikhail Yashin told Izvestia that Chemezov had not been charged. "After the interrogation, a protocol of detention was drawn up. That is, no suspicions or charges have been filed, just a protocol has been drawn up," Yashin said.

Oleg Chemezov, former Vice-Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, was detained.

Earlier, on September 25, the head of the region Denis Pasler dismissed Chemezov from the post of vice governor. This decision came after the Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg demanding that about 40 companies and other assets related to Oblkommunenergo and CTC Corporation Holding be seized in favor of the state.

Oblkommunenergo was established in 2001 as a state-owned enterprise and transformed into a joint-stock company in 2014. In 2015, there were changes in the ownership structure: a controlling stake was transferred to private investors, businessmen Artem Bikov and Alexey Bobrov.

On September 23, security forces conducted searches at the addresses of the beneficiaries of Oblkommunenergo in Moscow, as a result of which Alexey Bobrov was detained. He was later transferred to Yekaterinburg and arrested. Tatiana Chernykh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CTC Corporation, was similarly detained.

The Prosecutor General's Office's lawsuit says that Oleg Chemezov, while serving as vice governor, facilitated the illegal lobbying of "bonded" tariffs for utility companies controlled by Bikov and Bobrov. According to investigators, Chemezov led the process of approving these tariffs, in fact, provided "protection" of the interests of business structures.

In addition to Chemezov, former ministers of the Sverdlovsk Region for energy and state property Nikolai Smirnov and Alexey Pyankov are involved in the case. According to the prosecutor's office, they were the ones who facilitated the transfer of control over the utility to private individuals.

A criminal case has been opened against Oleg Chemezov under part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — fraud on an especially large scale. This article provides for up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to one million rubles.

How Chemezov's ex-wife is involved in the Oblkommunenergo case

On September 18, 2025, Irina Chemezova, the former wife of Oleg Chemezov, ex-vice Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, was placed under house arrest until November 1 in a case of fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). She is charged with participating in a scheme related to the illegal disposal of funds and property in the framework of the Oblkommunenergo case.

According to sources, Chemezova is being investigated as a third party. She denies her involvement and claims that she has nothing to do with corruption schemes. If the suspicions are confirmed in court, Chemezova faces up to ten years in prison, as well as her ex-husband.

Oleg and Irina Chemezov officially divorced in 2016, but the businessman continues to call Irina his wife in public speeches, noting that it was the problems around her and the children that became one of the reasons for his resignation from the post of vice governor.

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Biography of Oleg Chemezov

Oleg Leonidovich Chemezov was born on September 22, 1964 in Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg) in a family of doctors. In 1987, he graduated from the Tyumen State Medical Institute with a degree in medicine, becoming a qualified doctor.

From 1987 to 1988, he worked as an intern at the Tyumen Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital. In 1988, he was assigned to Khanty-Mansiysk, where from 1988 to 1993 he worked as a district psychiatrist, then as head of the psychiatric department of the Khanty-Mansiysk District Neuropsychiatric dispensary.

In 1993, he became the General Director of the territorial compulsory medical insurance fund of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra. At the same time, he graduated from the All-Russian Correspondence Financial and Economic Institute, qualifying as an economist.

From 1998 to 1999, he served as the First Deputy head of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Administration for Economics and Finance. From 1999 to 2004, he was the first Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.

In 2004-2005, he served as Deputy Governor of the Tyumen Region. After that, he worked in the large oil business: he was vice president of TNK-BP Management, director of the TNK-BP Siberia branch, and later headed the Rosneft branch in Siberia.

From 2013 to 2019, he headed the construction company Partikom. In March 2019, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, Evgeny Kuyvashev, appointed Chemezov deputy governor, and in December 2021 — Vice Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region. In this position, he oversaw the issues of territorial development, public utilities, energy and digitalization of the region. In regional politics, Oleg Chemezov is known as a member of the presidium of the regional political council of the United Russia party.

At the moment, the property and assets of the Chemezov family are under arrest, in particular, all bank accounts of the family are blocked. The general condition of the Chemezovs' property and assets is now being carefully checked by investigative authorities, and the property is under the control of law enforcement officers.

Oleg Chemezov, in his disclosed declarations in recent years, indicated relatively small incomes — no more than 7 million rubles in 2019. He owns an apartment with an area of 257 square meters, a land plot of 5 thousand square meters and an apartment building of 638 square meters. Earlier, Chemezov was the co-owner of the sports complex "Partikom" in Tyumen, which was bought by the regional government for more than 190 million rubles.