Russia Closes Case against Illegal Gambling Ring Operators

Last fall, the defendants requested amnesty and the Investigative Committee granted it.

Six men accused of running an illegal gambling operation in the Moscow region have been absolved of all charges after Russian authorities decided to close the case under an economic amnesty. Prosecutors claimed the accused were involved in a clandestine gambling ring and soon after their arrest, new Russian gambling laws were drawn up to stop underground gambling.

Local gambling news report the defendants asked for amnesty last fall. The Investigative Committee granted and forwarded it to the Prosecutor General’s Office. The two agencies are still debating whether the case should be closed in its own right or considered closed due to the amnesty.

Corrupt prosecutors still pursued

It is not the first time when the Prosecutor General’s Office and Investigative Committee disagree on important matters. The two agencies used to be part of the same body, but former President Dmitry Medvedev separated them in September 2010.

In the fall of 2012, the case against the six men nearly collapsed due to disagreements between the two authorities. The Prosecutor General’s Office then opposed an inquiry by the Investigative Committee and claimed that the arrest of those involved in the case had been illegal.

While the accused are free to go, authorities still have three ongoing cases against a few public prosecutors accused of offering them protection.