Crooks from the Moscow Region government, together with their lackey crooks from the Moscow Region Main Internal Affairs Directorate, seized most of the print run of the book "Corporation Moscow Region: How Russia’s Richest Region Was Ruined" at a warehouse. As I understand it, the book describes, among other things, the remarkable exploits of former Moscow Region Finance Minister Alexei Kuznetsov, who at one point siphoned nearly a billion dollars out of the budget and now hangs out in Europe quite calmly, practically within arm’s reach of our mighty generals and bosses from the Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation (FSO, the state body responsible for protecting top officials).
In my view, the book’s title is quite truthful. The Moscow Region is run by a real, genuine criminal group (value judgment). Simply a gang of bandits (value judgment). And they really did ruin the region (fact): we all remember that the Moscow Region defaulted on its bonds. Moreover, it was officially acknowledged that the default was not a consequence of the crisis, but the result of fraud by officials. The way the police acted in the seizure of the book shows the depth and tenderness of the relationship built between the Moscow Region government and the regional police.
photo from Leonid Bershidsky’s Facebook; there are more details there as well.
If Facebook is inconvenient for you, then go here.
A deputy chairman of the Moscow Region government files a complaint with the police: somewhere there is a book that has slandered me.
That same day, the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Leninsky District of the Moscow Region signs off: "for the organization of an inquiry and a decision in accordance with Articles 144 and 145 of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code."
And that same day, at 6:55 p.m., the police seize the print run of the book.
Let me remind you that all of this was done as part of a preliminary inquiry. WITHOUT opening a criminal case, questioning any individuals, or conducting any expert review of the book’s contents. Obviously, the officer did not even have time to read it.
Only people who have ever filed a request for an inquiry under Article 144 can appreciate this little stunt.
I do it regularly.
You send in a complaint. The police are deeply unhappy that work has landed in their lap, and they kick the letter around for a week. Another week later they call, in the same suffering tone, and ask you to come in and give a statement.
Then they spend another two weeks making unsuccessful attempts to question anyone else.
Then they issue a decision refusing to open a criminal case.
And that is when the crime is obvious and beyond doubt.
But here they seized the print run on the very day the complaint was filed. Fantastic.
So, for example, if every time newspapers publish another paid hit piece about me, I file a slander complaint, will the police seize the newspaper’s print run that same day?
The question of sending Moscow Region Governor Gromov off to the defendant’s bench nto retirement has been overdue by about three years already. We learned nothing new about them from this situation.
But it did give us reason to reflect on whether citizen Nikolai Vladimirovich Golovkin is really fit for his position.
the head of the Moscow Region Main Internal Affairs Directorate Have crimes in the Leninsky District of the Moscow Region already been solved, if the police have moved on to books? P.S. For those who think this is all just promotion for the book: I spoke with several people, and they all confirmed that it happened. Update: Forbes.ru has published one chapter from the book Update 2: The book is being sold through online stores. I won’t post a link, but anyone who wants to buy it will have no trouble finding it.