The court in Penza has ordered the confiscation of 18 luxury watches that belonged to former governor Ivan Belozertsev. The total value of the seized accessories is estimated at 9.6 million rubles. Among the confiscated items were two Rolex watches worth 4.5 million and 2.5 million rubles respectively. The decision to confiscate the watches was made by the court following a request by the General Prosecutor's Office, which argued that the expensive items were acquired by Belozertsev with illegally obtained income.
The former governor was sentenced to 12 years in prison for bribery in January 2024. A separate case involving Belozertsev also led to the conviction of former senator Boris Shpigel, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for being an accomplice in the bribery scheme. Both individuals were also fined 450 million rubles.
The confiscated watches have now been turned over to the state treasury, adding to the ongoing attempts to collect more than 8.4 billion rubles in damages from Belozertsev.
