Charges are dropped against the ex-KGB agent who took down two mobsters
Police have closed a criminal case against the former KGB officer Eduard Budantsev, who murdered two men working for the mobster Zakhariy Kalashov, known as “Young Shakro.”
The killing took place in December 2015 at the “Elements” cafe in Moscow. Men representing Kalashov (working directly for another criminal named Andrey “The Italian” Kochuikov) entered the cafe and confronted the owner, Zhanna Kim. Budantsev intervened on Kim’s behalf, killing two of Kochuikov’s men.
Police detained everyone at the scene, and later released Budantsev on his own recognizance. In late December 2017, the news agency TASS reported that investigators closed the case against Budantsev after it was transferred back from the Attorney General’s Office.
There’s more to this case
Several high-ranking investigators in Moscow have been detained on charges of accepting bribes to try to facilitate Kochuikov’s release. Denis Nikandrov and Mikhail Maksimenko are charged with taking money from Kalashov to help free Kochuikov.
In January 2018, prosecutors read out an indictment against Maksimenko that implicated Moscow Investigative Committee chief Alexander Drymanov in the bribery scheme. Drymanov has denied any knowledge of the allegations. In March 2018, Kalashov and Kochuikov were sentenced to nine years and 10 months in prison and eight years and 10 months in prison, respectively.
The money might not have come directly from the mob
In early February, the news agency Rosbalt published a report claiming that the bribes didn’t come from Kalashov, but from from two businessmen: Oleg Sheikhametov and Dmitry Smychkovsky. The latter figure reportedly has extensive ties to the investigators involved in releasing Kalashov’s man, and he may have even attended one of Drymanov’s birthday parties. There’s currently a warrant out for Smychkovsky’s arrest, but he’s hiding in London.
The Federal Security Service wants Drymanov investigated, but only Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin can order that, and he’s stonewalled the FSB.