MOSCOW, August 1 (Itar-Tass) —— During the investigation in a lawsuit filed by Bulgarian citizen Ivailo Zartov the Russian Investigation Committee has proved the information that State Duma deputy Gennady Gudkov was participating illegally in business, particularly in the companies, which are registered in Bulgaria and Gibraltar, spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
“Now during the inquiry the detectives found that (particularly the confirming information from the taxation services) Gudkov was participating illegally in business activities in Russian commercial organizations and such non-residential companies as English Village, which is registered in Bulgaria, and Business Consultancy Ltd, which is registered in the offshore zone Gibraltar,” Markin said.
“The investigative measures proved Zartov’s testimony about Gudkov’s direct participation in the management of the foresaid non-residential companies, which bought and build expensive real estate sites in Bulgaria from the foreign currency assets of the Business Security Consultancy Ltd Company, in which his wife works,” the spokesman said.
“It is noteworthy that Gudkov was running a business in Bulgaria, when he was not only a State Duma deputy, but also a Russian coordinator of interparliamentary cooperation with Bulgaria,” Markin added.
Commenting on a report in the Izvestia daily (that the deputy heads the building material market “Kolomna Builder” in the Moscow Region) and the reaction of Gudkov himself Markin noted that “first, the detectives actually have the information that on September 13, 2008 Gudkov, being a deputy of the fifth State Duma, together with his wife founded the Kolomna Builder limited liability company.” “Secondly, Gudkov’s claims that he does not head the operation of this enterprise are not true,” he said.
“The detectives have the documents, which prove that remaining a shareholder he manages the economic entity, approves necessary charter documents at a meeting of its participants and takes decisions to appoint the senior managers, forms its charter capital and takes other actions in favour of Kolomna Builder,” Markin stated.
“Meanwhile, the detectives found that Gudkov was participating in the business activities of Roshan, the management company “the private security agency Oskord-Bezopasnost” and other commercial organizations during his term as a deputy,” Markin said.
“The event of the crime under Article 289 of the Criminal Code for illegal participation in business activities was found in Gudkov’s actions,” he said. This article envisions a fine of up to 300,000 roubles, the deprivation of the right to do some concrete activities for a term up to five years, correctional works or even a term of up to two years in prison.
“The corpus delicti in this crime or the lack of it will be checked in the investigation,” Markin added.
The inquiry continues, after which the information will be passed in the prosecutor’s office and the State Duma“to take a decision within their jurisdiction,” he said. So, the spokesman of the Investigation Committee actually did not rule out a possible address to the State Duma to give consent to strip deputy Gudkov of deputy immunity for opening the criminal case.