Former Chelyabinsk bank manager sentenced to 5 years for 20 million ruble bribe

A former bank executive in Chelyabinsk, Russia, was sentenced to 5 years in prison and a 28 million ruble fine for a 20 million ruble bribe.

Scraper SystemJune 24, 2026, 11:29 AM

Former Chelyabinsk bank manager sentenced to 5 years for 20 million ruble bribe

The Chelyabinsk Central District Court sentenced a former bank executive to 5 years in prison for taking a particularly large bribe. The regional Federal Security Service (FSB) press service told RIA Novosti that the court ordered the sentence to be served in a strict-regime penal colony.

Previously, security forces told RIA Novosti that the defendants were former Sberbank employee Roman Lihopud, businessman Aleksey Vahatov, and Oksana Malyshko, an employee of the bank's Chelyabinsk branch.

Details of the investigation and charges

According to investigation data, between March 2023 and January 2025, former and current bank employees in Chelyabinsk received bribes from a representative of a legal entity, both in person and through intermediaries. The payments were made in exchange for assistance in opening a non-revolving credit line.

The bribe money was transferred for the construction of a hotel complex and to conceal negative information about the bribe-giver and two commercial organizations he represented. Lihopud was charged with taking a bribe of 20 million rubles. The crimes were uncovered by the regional FSB.

Court ruling

The FSB statement said, "The defendant was sentenced to 5 years in prison, as well as a 28 million ruble fine and confiscation of 14 million rubles." Additionally, Lihopud was banned from holding similar positions for 5 years.

The Chelyabinsk Central District Court told journalists that it announced the verdict against the former executive director of Sberbank's Chelyabinsk branch. The court added, "The injunction on the convict's assets was upheld, including a car, residential and non-residential properties, a land plot, and cash."