Under scrutiny: a case of corruption in St. Petersburg police
The criminal file from the Khamovnichesky Court in the capital runs thick, spanning 88 volumes. Initial plans placed the corruption probe at the scene of the alleged crimes, but the Prosecutor General’s Office intervened. It cited concerns about objectivity in evaluating the investigation and ensuring a fair decision. The move shifted the venue away from the defendants’ location, signaling a breach in traditional jurisdictional logic.
Under the guise of donations
The investigation has been ongoing since June 2020 when the Main Investigative Directorate of the St. Petersburg Investigative Committee opened the case. Later, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that unknown actors diverted funds from the NGO Assistance Foundation to Police Programs for personal use. By late 2021, the documents were unexpectedly moved to the central office of the Investigative Committee, a transfer noted by media outlets. In July 2022, with support from the FSB, the major defendants accused of large scale bribery were searched and detained under Article 290, Part 6 of the Criminal Code.
Prominent figures from the police command structure faced detention, including the deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Russia and former chief of the city’s Main Directorate, Major General Sergei Umnov. Also detained were the head of the logistics department of the same directorate in St. Petersburg, Major General Ivan Abakumov from the Leningrad Region, and Major General Alexey Semenov, head of the regional headquarters of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. The head of the traffic police legal department, Elena Kopieva, was also taken into custody. Local media reported that investigators traced a scheme in which funds were funneled into a non profit fund described as a “commercial MREO” to bolster the bribery network. The investigation has identified Umnov as the principal ideologue behind the corruption scheme.
Records show that in October 2013 Umnov organized and led an operation to expand contractual relationships with branches of commercial departments of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for registration and vehicle verification services. Bribes were paid under the guise of donations, with money funneled into accounts controlled by the Fund for Assistance to Programs of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate.
What did they pay for?
Investigators identified bribers under Article 291 of the Criminal Code. They pointed to general directors and owners of firms that leased spaces inside vehicle registration and inspection departments of the MREO in St. Petersburg. From 2013 through 2019 these firms provided paid automotive technical inspections to vehicle owners. The process made it possible to obtain a car number verification first, effectively streamlining registration in exchange for payments.
Businesspeople including Nadezhda Smirnova, Andrei Tsarnetsa, Vladimir Platonov, and Oleg Ivanov were among those held in connection with this scheme alongside former police personnel. Initially, eleven entrepreneurs were involved, but some withdrew as officials moved to cooperate with investigators. Another defendant, listed as St. Louis, organized Traffic Safety Center LLC. Vladimir Mashnin, formerly head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, died in 2022 at 72. Those accused of bribery who were not in pre-trial detention were placed under travel restrictions. Investigators identified that Umnov’s corruption scheme involved staff across St. Petersburg and nearby MREO UGIBDD units, and that a departmental commission determined the placement of its offices in properties owned by businessmen linked to the defendants.
These offices redirected a portion of their profits to the NGO, allegedly thanking the fund for its role in the placement. During Umnov’s six years at the helm, the foundation reportedly received about 65 million rubles from tenants. The inquiry concluded that much of this money was used to buy luxury vehicles for the foundation and to finance perks for police leadership. Examples cited include a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 purchased for around 5.2 million rubles and a Toyota Camry bought for about 2.2 million rubles. The funds also covered elite gym memberships for headquarters leaders, office repairs, and recreation rooms. One accounting note highlighted tens of thousands spent on plumbing for the main director’s restroom and other festive banquets. Investigators say Umnov used these funds to impress superiors and safeguard his career prospects.
According to the committee’s assessment, Umnov not only accepted bribes but also received funds from the fund for various departmental events, aiming to secure status and protection.
Not guilty
Umnov, Abakumov, Semenov, and Kopieva consistently denied guilt from the start. They asserted that no crimes occurred and that decisions about the placement of individuals and the fund’s expenditures were collective. Umnov allegedly relocated to Moscow after being reassigned to the capital, with changes in leadership under Vladimir Kolokoltsev. The businessmen involved also denied wrongdoing, claiming their contributions were voluntary acts to aid the St. Petersburg police. They argued their support was a measure against crime rather than a bribery scheme.
What about Moscow?
Sergei Radko, an automobile lawyer aligned with the Freedom of Choice movement, argues that registering a car with the traffic police MREO remains overly complicated and that many people seek help to ease the process. He notes that near many MREOs there are numerous brokers offering insurance and related services. When investigations are requested, officials in St. Petersburg are highlighted for detection, but similar patterns likely exist in other MREOs across Russia.
Radko emphasized that despite digital queues, registration databases still fail repeatedly. Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union, echoed that remark, pointing out that commercial services tied to vehicle registration are not unique to St. Petersburg and pose a national issue. He explained that in Moscow, registration is often handled by runners and other middlemen located near MREOs, creating a sense of official support while not being an official program. He urged the Ministry of Internal Affairs to curb these paid services around the State Traffic Inspectorate and to shut down extant sites offering registration help. The aim would be to close off marketplaces that pose as official channels but operate as paid shortcuts.