Merkulov Dmitry

Merkulov Dmitry

Biography

2023: Sentence - 4.5 years in prison for embezzlement of 475 million rubles

At the end of December 2023, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow sentenced Dmitry Merkulov, the former vice president of the bankrupt First Czech-Russian Bank (PBRB). The ex-banker received 4.5 years in a general regime colony for embezzlement of 475 million rubles.

According to investigators, Merkulov participated in a fraudulent scheme to conclude transactions on the sale of property belonging to the bank. In particular, it is alleged that he helped sell one of the former premises of the PBRB on 2nd Brestskaya Street in Moscow worth 475 million rubles for nothing. Initially, in the lawsuit against the banker, the damage was estimated at this amount, but then the Deposit Insurance Agency (the successor of the bankrupt bank) reduced the requirements to 400 million rubles. The case file says that Merkulov acted together with the beneficiary of the PBRB Roman Popov and deputy chairman of the board Olga Arsentieva, who managed to travel abroad. Because of this, the case against them was separated into a separate proceeding, and only Merkulov was in the dock.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, representatives of the prosecutor's office asked Judge Evgenia Nikolaeva to sentence Merkulov to eight years in prison, a fine and a ban on engaging in a certain type of activity. At the same time, the defense insisted on the complete acquittal of the ex-banker or on the transfer of the materials of the criminal case for further investigation. Lawyers pointed to the inadmissibility of a number of evidence. Merkulov himself also did not admit his guilt.

According to the decision, Merkulov, in addition to serving a prison term, must compensate the Deposit Insurance Agency as the successor of the credit institution 400 million rubles of damage. The man was handcuffed in the courtroom, while his defense announced its intention to appeal the verdict.^[1]

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