Earlier, the Public Prosecutor General’s Office revealed his undeclared business worth over 38 billion roubles

Press Release, 1.02.2021

Photo: Sergei Sopchuk, photo from the official website of the Legislative Assembly of the Maritime Territory

Alexei Karnaukhov, Director of the Yabloko party Anti-Corruption Policy Сentre, appealed to the Chairman of the State Duma with a demand to deprive MP Sergei Sopchuk of his mandate. The court found that the United Russia deputy was unlawfully engaged in business worth over 38 billion roubles. Despite the court’s decision and a confirmed violation of anti-corruption laws, Sopchuk is still an MP in the State Duma. Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policy Centre emphasises that business activities are a basis for deprivation of a State Duma deputy of the mandate.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, in 2011–2020, Sergei Sopchuk personally and with the help of firms controlled by him invested over one billion roubles into OOO Terney Zoloto, a company developing gold and silver deposits. The MP transferred his share of the firm to his sister Lyudmila Stukova. However, the deal, according to the Public Prosecutor General’s Office, was fictitious – Sopchuk continued to participate in the management of the company.

At first, the deputy’s investment in gold mining was profitable: the investments made it possible to conduct geological exploration and find gold reserves worth 38 billion roubles. However, the confession of his former business partner put an end to the successful business of the most “silent” State Duma deputy.

“To solve the problem of unlawful enrichment, demonstrative confiscations of property of officials and deputies are not enough, systemic reforms are needed here: formation of political competition and increased transparency of the government. In addition, it is necessary to reform the legislation on illicit enrichment – now it is fragmentary and allows public officials to easily evade responsibility,” Alexei Karnaukhov, Director of the Yabloko party Anti-Corruption Policy Centre, notes.