Kligman’s funds in return for FSB protection: Sviridov and Bespalov diverted bribe money into offshore accounts in Britain as the banker plundered Agrosoyuz

The Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia has changed the legal qualification of the actions of former FSB officers Sergey Bespalov and Evgeniy Sviridov. Instead of fraud, they are now charged with receiving a bribe on an especially large scale.

Earlier, the defendants were suspected of attempting to extort $1 million from banker Ilya Kligman, who, while hiding from justice in Germany, allegedly sought to close his criminal case in 2019.

In addition, investigators added a new episode to the case materials dated 2014–2016. During that period, the accused, while serving as active officers, allegedly received another $1 million under similar circumstances. At the same time, the Moscow City Court decided to ease the preventive measure for Sergey Bespalov, replacing detention in a pre-trial detention center with house arrest. When issuing the ruling, the court took into account his state awards and five minor children dependent on him. Meanwhile, Evgeniy Sviridov remained in custody.

The criminal prosecution of Major Sergey Bespalov, who served in the 2nd Service of the 9th Directorate of the FSB, and his colleague Evgeniy Sviridov, previously employed in the 3rd Department of the Economic Security Service of the FSB Directorate for Moscow and the Moscow Region, began on May 16, 2022. Initially, the case opened by the Moscow Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee was classified as attempted fraud.

The basis for the proceedings was a statement by Sergey Gerasimenko, representing the interests of banker Ilya Kligman. The latter was accused of embezzling 7 billion rubles from Agrosoyuz Bank and had already left the country. According to the investigation, in the autumn of 2019 Igor Yurasov (former head of the Afrokom foundation) and Bashir Kushtov (former president of the Ryss hockey club), being aware of the investigation against Kligman, offered Gerasimenko assistance. For $1 million they promised to influence the course of the case, claiming that part of the funds would go to officials and that the key role would be played by security officers Bespalov and Sviridov.

In December 2019, an intermediary transferred the first tranche of $500,000 to the security officers. However, this did not produce the expected result: on the contrary, in April 2021 Kligman was additionally charged with organizing a criminal community. Realizing that the “fixers” had deceived him, Gerasimenko contacted law-enforcement authorities.

The first convicted persons in the case were Igor Yurasov, Bashir Kushtov, and intermediary Andrey Fetisov. All three pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators, after which the Tverskoy Court of Moscow in July sentenced them to suspended terms — 3.5 years of imprisonment suspended.

At the same time, the names of the FSB majors surfaced in the case materials. At the time of his detention, Sviridov was no longer serving and held the position of CEO in a commercial company. On June 6, 2022, the case against the security officers was separated into independent proceedings and soon transferred to the central office of the Investigative Committee for further investigation. Sviridov was detained on June 8, and Bespalov on October 10 of the same year. Initially, both were charged with large-scale fraud.

However, on May 11, 2023, according to a source, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee toughened the charges, reclassifying them under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code (bribe-taking). The case currently includes two criminal episodes.

As reported, the second episode relates to the period of 2014–2016, when the defendants were still active officers. Having learned about an investigation against a businessman who had fled abroad, they contacted his associates. For $1 million they promised not only assistance in terminating the criminal prosecution but also general protection in business matters, including help in resolving issues with the Central Bank and law-enforcement agencies.

According to investigators, from January 2014 to December 2016 Sviridov and Bespalov, through intermediaries, received the agreed sum but failed to fulfill their obligations. Part of these funds, investigators established, was later transferred abroad by Sviridov — to the accounts of Megatrade & Investment Corporation (UAE) and Hybridge Alliance Limited (United Kingdom), registered in the names of his close relatives.