Former deputy head of the DEB may be charged with possession of a revolver

As Kommersant has learned, the Moscow police investigation has intensified the investigation into the case initiated following the seizure of a revolver from the apartment used by the former first deputy head of the Department of Economic Security (DEB) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Andrei Khorev. He will soon be summoned for questioning, during which the police will try to establish whether he was the owner of the weapon. Meanwhile, the Moscow City Court recognized the legality of the arrest of the person involved in the bribery case, as part of which a search was carried out at General Khorev’s place.

A rare weapon for modern Russia, but very popular before the revolution - the ancient Lefoshe revolver (it was used to arm military officers and police officers) and four pin cartridges for it were seized from apartment N31 in the elite complex "House on Smolenskaya Embankment" in Maly Novopeskovsky Lane. Since they did not relate to the case in which the search was carried out - about giving a bribe to the investigator of the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow Nelli Dmitrieva (see Kommersant on November 7), the weapons and ammunition from the Investigative Committee were transferred to one of the police investigation departments of the Internal Affairs Directorate Central district. After conducting an examination, which recognized the revolver as a military weapon, the investigator opened a criminal case N382012 under Art. 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Illegal storage of weapons").

There were three suspects in it. The wife of ex-employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Maxim Kagansky, Anastasia, who in 2009 purchased apartment No. 31, a teacher at one of the military universities, Viktor Khorev, to whom she then gave luxury real estate, and the latter’s son, the former first deputy head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Andrei Khorev.

The fact is that a power of attorney was issued to him to dispose of the apartment. The apartment contained the personal belongings of Major General Khorev, which he took upon his dismissal from the DEB, including photo and video archives. The fact that Khorev Jr. used real estate is evidenced by another fact. Security guards recorded visitors to the elite house in a special log, which was at the disposal of law enforcement agencies. They say that from the Khorev family only the major general was noted. Moreover, judging by the records, he pretended to be the brother of Anastasia Kaganskaya, who formally remained the owner of the property, since they simply did not have time to register it in Khorev Sr.’s name.

Thus, obviously, he will have to answer for the revolver seized during the search authorized by the Presnensky District Court of Moscow. According to Kommersant, Andrei Khorev, who was dismissed from the internal affairs bodies on October 31, is going to be summoned for questioning in the coming days. If by that time he does not have documents for the weapon (it is not listed in the registration databases), then the major general will become a suspect, and then, possibly, accused under Art. 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, the Investigative Committee is finding out on what grounds the elite apartment ended up in the hands of the major general, who, according to the declaration, already had housing in Moscow and the Moscow region. The fact is that the gift of real estate to Andrei Khorev’s father strangely coincided with the termination of a criminal case for tax evasion by the Don-Stroy company, which was initiated based on the materials of the DEB.

Viktor Khorev, whom Kommersant managed to contact yesterday, refused to answer questions related to the apartment and the weapons in it. “No comments, I don’t want to and won’t comment on this,” was all he said.

Maxim Kagansky's lawyer (yesterday the Moscow City Court recognized his arrest in absentia by the Presnensky Court as legal) Vladimir Zherebenkov told Kommersant that he sees nothing criminal in the fact that Anastasia transferred the apartment to someone. He said that Maxim Kagansky earned 113 million rubles in 2008-2010, from which he paid taxes. His wife received about 20 million rubles more. “I won’t say whether this apartment was a gift or not. I don’t know all the details,” said Vladimir Zherebenkov. “But I think that the transfer of this apartment is a normal business relationship.”

Fedor Maksimov, Alexey Sokovnin

General Khorev will be checked for weapons ownership