Oleg Lavrichev's lawyers insist on returning the case to the prosecutor.

      01 October 2025 17:17 Incidents The defense of the former chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Duma and ex-head of the Arzamas Instrument-Building Plant (APZ), Oleg Lavrichev, told the court that the criminal case against him was initiated with violations and should be returned to the prosecutor. This was reported by "Kommersant-Privolzhye." According to the investigation, while serving as APZ's general director, Lavrichev purchased expensive medical equipment for the enterprise — an X-ray mammograph and ultrasound machines — with a total value of more than 22.4 million rubles. Investigators claim the plant was not authorized to use this equipment. To give the actions a lawful appearance, Lavrichev initiated the execution of transactions on behalf of the joint-stock company. The lawyers believe the case lacked legal grounds from the outset. The statement to law enforcement was filed by deputy general director for security Dmitry Konichenko, but, according to the defense, he did not have the authority to do so. Only the general director could have contacted the authorities, the lawyers emphasize, and the power of attorney issued to Konichenko did not grant such rights. In addition, the defense notes that the complaint was filed by the new owners of the plant, whereas the actions in question were carried out under the previous management. When the ownership changed, an audit and financial examination were conducted and no claims regarding the transactions arose. The former owners do not consider themselves victims. Recall that Lavrichev was arrested in April 2024 on charges of embezzlement. Later, new counts were added to the case. In May 2024 the speaker of the Nizhny Novgorod Duma voluntarily stepped down. Since the arrest, the court has repeatedly extended Lavrichev's pre-trial detention. The prosecution sought 12 years in prison and a 2 million ruble fine. For his alleged accomplice, former APZ lawyer Svetlana Smirnova, a suspended sentence has been proposed. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay up to date on the main events, exclusive materials and breaking information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ content.