A high-profile legal case in Russia centers on lawyer Darejan Kveidze, who previously represented the former head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukaev. She received a prison sentence of eight years following her involvement in a criminal matter that drew broad attention from national media, including the newspaper Kommersant.
The case began when investigators from the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia opened proceedings against two lawyers, Darejan Kveidze and Andrey Folomeikin, under charges of particularly large-scale fraud. The proceedings, which began in early 2022, charged the attorneys with illicit actions tied to attempts to influence the outcome of criminal prosecutions connected with a corporate figure associated with the construction industry. The alleged scheme reportedly involved coordinating a financial settlement with the aim of affecting the legal process in favor of certain interests linked to Igor Stroganov, the founder of a construction company involved in a high-stakes commercial dispute.
According to investigators, Kveidze and Folomeikin approached Stroganov’s spouse, leveraging their extensive professional networks within the judicial community to promise outcomes such as acquittal or minimized sentencing. The pair allegedly requested a sum of one million dollars in exchange for their services, presenting themselves as influential intermediaries able to sway judicial decisions through legitimate channels or through informal influence.
The timeline indicates that in July 2021, after Stroganov was convicted of bribery and sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security penal facility, along with a substantial fine of eighty million rubles, his wife sought recourse from law enforcement authorities, claiming that she had been misled by the lawyers involved in the matter. This development intensified scrutiny of the case and prompted authorities to pursue further investigations into the conduct of the attorneys and their associates.
Following judicial review, the Odintsovo City Court of the Moscow Region handed down a sentence of eight years for Kveidze and Folomeikin. Both defendants appealed the court’s decision, asserting their positions through the appropriate legal channels. The appellate process extended the public record of the case, highlighting questions about the role of legal professionals in alleged manipulation of the criminal justice system and the boundaries of lawful advocacy versus illegal influence peddling.
In a related development, Alexei Ulyukaev, formerly the head of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, commented publicly on the matter during his own legal proceedings, stating that he did not observe any violations in his own cell during his time as a detainee regarding his alleged involvement in bribery. His remarks, reported by multiple outlets, contributed to the broader discussion about accountability, integrity, and the handling of corruption cases within the Russian system of government and its ministries.
The legal narrative surrounding these events continues to unfold as authorities pursue further inquiries and as the affected parties navigate the consequences of the rulings. The broader context includes ongoing coverage of related investigations and other legal actions that have attracted attention for their potential implications on the judicial process and the oversight of influential figures connected to major commercial and political interests.