By the court’s decision, notary Dmitry Bubliya, 53, and Mikhail Tsivin, 76, were sent to a general regime correctional colony for 5 years. Photo: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
It seems that on May 26, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow put an end to the notorious criminal drama that had lasted for almost three years. By the court’s decision, 76-year-old Mikhail Tsivin and 53-year-old notary Dmitry Bubliy were sent to a general regime correctional colony for 5 years. Tsivin’s wife, actress Natalya Drozhzhina, 74, received a four-year suspended sentence.
All three were found guilty of fraud involving the assets of Alexei Batalov’s family.
Dmitry Bubliya was detained in the courtroom. Mikhail Tsivin was arrested even earlier. In addition, compensation for moral damage must be recovered in favor of Maria Batalova and Gitana Leontenko, daughter and widow of the People’s Artist.
It seems that justice has triumphed. But all parties in the process were unhappy. Some considered it too soft, others too hard.
In May, when the sentence was announced, prosecutors considered it too lenient. And she filed an appeal. Initially, the state prosecutor’s office asked that notary Dmitry Bubliy, Natalya Drozhzhina and Mikhail Tsivin be sentenced to a real (and not conditional sentence like Drozhzhina) of 5,6,7 years, respectively.
Maria Batalova also asked for the maximum punishment: “Let the cell of each of them become a cell,” she told the court, meaning that in prison they would atone for their sins.
Natalya Drozhzhina
Photo: Alexander BATALOV
Recall that a married couple, Mikhail Tsivin and Natalya Drozhzhina, managed to ingratiate themselves with the Batalovs and fraudulently seized most of their real estate and money. Notary Dmitry Bubliy helped formalize dubious transactions. As a result, Maria Batalova’s property (1/3 share in a four-room apartment in the famous Embankment House, Serafimovicha Street, 2, a non-residential premises of 20 m2 in the same building and a two-room apartment in the 1st Samotechny Lane) became the property of Drozhzhina. From the Batalovs’ accounts, including foreign currency accounts, money disappeared: more than 20 million rubles. It is unknown where these millions are. Tsivin and Drozhzhina withdrew money by proxy. They were charged with fraud (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: large-scale fraud, committed by a group of persons through prior conspiracy).
When the guilty verdict was announced at the Zamoskvoretsky court, Maria Batalova, 55, burst into tears. Not out of pity for the people who wanted to deprive her, a disabled girl, of everything. Maria is convinced that a suspended sentence instead of an actual prison sentence is too lenient a punishment for Natalya Drozhzhina. In her opinion, the 74-year-old actress, who remains free, represents a danger to her.
“Masha fears that if Drozhzhina is freed, she may take revenge on Masha,” explained Alexei Batalov’s widow, Gitana Arkadyevna Leontenko. – We are very afraid of him. And she is not afraid of anything. She lied in court and was not ashamed…
Therefore, the Batalovs, as well as the prosecutor’s office, filed an appeal against the court’s verdict.
Tsivin and Drozhzhina did not admit their guilt. And they also filed an appeal. Like the notary Dmitry Bublii, he admitted that he had committed professional negligence, but this is not a reason to imprison him for five years. Furthermore, he has a minor son.
The violators should receive compensation for moral damage in favor of Maria Batalova and Gitana Leontenko, daughter and widow of the People’s Artist.
Photo: Anastasia Pleshakova
Today, the Moscow Court was considering an appeal from all parties in this wonderful process: from the Batalovs, from Tsivin and Drozhzhina, from Bublius and from the procurators.
As a result, the meeting was postponed until October 26.
Mikhail Tsivin’s representative stated that he did not trust the Moscow court. He will appeal to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation requesting that appeals from the Moscow City Court be sent to the City Court… of St. Petersburg. They say that Moscow judges have discredited themselves.
Natalya Drozhzhina did not participate in today’s meeting. Mikhail Tsivin and Dmitry Bublii joined the proceedings via video link from prison.
LISTEN TOO
What will surprise the new television season: the return of Larisa Guzeeva, the premiere of a series about electronic sports and the appearance of the “KVN Killer” (more details)