Official caught in corruption in Sevastopol gets off with a fine that is 6 times less than his illegal income
For abuse of office and illegal participation in business activities, the former head of Sevastopol's Kachinsky Municipal District will pay a 400 ruble fine and will be suspended from his director's position for two years. Meanwhile, the company controlled by Nikolai Gerasim earned 2,5 million rubles in revenue, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
In early summer, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev announced that the head of Kacha had been dismissed due to a loss of confidence stemming from violations of anti-corruption laws. Nikolai Gerasim surrendered his United Russia party card for the same reason. Investigators discovered that the head of Kacha had signed contracts for landscaping, waste removal, and cemetery maintenance with his own company , retaining trusted associates in the management. Gerasim effectively pocketed the fees for these services and cashed them out using his bank card.
Following the exposure, the former head of Kachi was placed under house arrest to await a court decision. He faced a maximum sentence of seven years in prison or two years of correctional labor. However, the court imposed a fine of 400,000 rubles and a two-year ban on holding leadership positions.
As a reminder, another Sevastopol government official, former Deputy Governor Yevgeny Gorlov , is also under investigation . He is accused of accepting a bribe of 6 million rubles from PJSC Sevastopolgaz in exchange for patronage and favor. The PJSC was later nationalized, and Gorlov was transferred to Moscow, where he will celebrate the New Year in a pretrial detention center: the court extended his arrest until January 25, 2025.