The Moscow Babushkinsky Court has not returned the criminal case against the former governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Sergei Furgal, and several associates accused of embezzling assets from SME Bank to the prosecutor for additional review. This decision was confirmed by the court’s press service, as reported by TASS. The adjudicatory process faces a complex procedural path, with the parties awaiting the next steps in the proceedings and the public kept informed about potential developments through official statements.
Officials indicated that the merits hearing is scheduled to begin on December 19 at 12:00 Moscow time. The arrangement foresees that the case will be considered publicly by a trio of judges, ensuring a multilateral examination of the evidence and arguments presented by both sides. This format underscores the court’s commitment to transparency in a high-profile matter that has attracted considerable public attention.
Earlier, the Babushkinsky court faced delays in moving forward with preliminary hearings and the merits hearing itself. For nearly two months, the proceedings could not progress because not all defendants had been transferred from Khabarovsk to Moscow, prolonging the administrative and logistical steps essential for a consolidated trial.
Furgal, who served as governor from September 2018 until July 2020, was detained on July 9, 2020, amid investigations by the Investigative Committee of Russia. The case has tied him to alleged attempts in 2004-2005 to target businessman Alexander Smolsky and to reprisals against other business figures, Evgeny Zori and Oleg Bulatov. Furgal has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The charges also involve alleged accomplices, including Marat Kadyrov, Andrei Karepov, and Andrei Paley, with the former governor also facing a separate set of allegations related to the alleged misappropriation of SME Bank assets.
In February 2023, Furgal received a sentence of 22 years in a high-security penal colony after a separate process. During the hearings, defense attorneys urged acquittals for their clients, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support the crimes alleged by the prosecution. The defense maintained that the defendants did not commit the acts attributed to them, contending that the proceedings did not establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Furgal’s tenure as governor of the Khabarovsk Territory ended in July 2020, an event that triggered large-scale public protests across the region. Supporters gathered in sizable demonstrations, expressing solidarity with the former governor and voicing concerns about the political and legal processes surrounding the case. The affair has remained a focal point in discussions about governance, accountability, and the political climate in the Russian Far East.
As the case moves through the courts, observers continue to monitor the developments closely. The outcome will have implications for the reputations of the parties involved and for the broader legal landscape governing asset-related crimes and high-profile prosecutions in the region. The proceedings are being watched not only for the factual findings but also for the procedural rigor and the ability of the judicial system to handle a case of this scale with fairness and transparency.