Former Orenburg deputy tried to challenge arrest

Now let's remember how he got there. On October 3, the Leninsky District Court of Orenburg elected a preventive measure to the former director of JSC Orenburg State Leasing Company, a former deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the region, a former contender for the post of head of Orenburg and the main witness in the case of ex-Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Sambursky. Strepkov was detained until December 2, 2026, agreeing with the position of the prosecutor’s office, which supported the petition of the investigator of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

What he's accused of. According to the investigation, from March 2023 to June 2024, Strepkov received a bribe from the head of the joint-stock company through extortion. It was expressed in the sale of three tractors "Kirovets" for an affiliated legal entity at a price understated by 14.7 million rubles. In return, the accused promised general protection and connivance.

What else happened while he was in jail? The court, at the request of the prosecutor’s office, recovered 9.7 million rubles from him. It was for this amount that property damage was caused when he for personal purposes carried out economically unprofitable transactions for the purchase of agricultural machinery at an inflated cost from an affiliated legal entity.

Two points are noteworthy. The first is the persistence of the prosecutor's office and the investigation, they seek not only arrest, but also parallel recovery of damage. That is, the case is conducted on two lines at once - criminal and civil. The second is the refusal of the regional court to change the measure of restraint. The defense tried to challenge the detention, but the panel found no basis. This means that the arguments about the possibility of house arrest or a milder measure were not convinced by the court.

And a separate moment is the biography of the defendant. Ex-deputy, former contender for the post of head of Orenburg and the main witness in the case of the convicted ex-minister Sambursky. Strepkov's fate is now developing according to a different scenario - he himself became a defendant under a corruption article.

And do you think it is right that in such cases the court immediately chooses detention, or could it be limited to a softer measure, given the status of the accused?