Former Judge Khakhaleva's Disputed Property Has Given Reason for Investigation
The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Krasnodar Krai has opened a criminal case on fraud and money laundering. It concerns the property of former Krasnodar Regional Court judge Elena Khakhaleva, which the Prosecutor General's Office is demanding be forfeited to the state.
As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, in early April, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar accepted a claim from the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation to forfeit to the state property of former Krasnodar Regional Court judge Elena Khakhaleva and members of her family, including judge of the Arbitration Court of Krasnodar Krai Natalia Khakhaleva.
Investigators believe that in 2019, Khakhaleva went on business trips that she did not properly document, and her absences were considered absenteeism. In total, she missed 127 workdays, while continuing to receive her salary, and earned 1.2 million rubles during her absence. In December 2021, the High Qualification Collegium of Judges of Russia authorized the initiation of a case against Khakhaleva, a week before which Khakhaleva left Russia. In May 2022, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia ordered a case against Khakhaleva on charges of official forgery and fraud, and the court arrested her in absentia. On January 27, 2025, Azerbaijani authorities informed the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia that Elena Khakhaleva was detained at the Baku airport while attempting to fly to Dubai. In March, she left Azerbaijan for another country, said Shahla Humbatova, Khakhaleva's lawyer. At the end of April, lawyer Yaroslav Krasnoshchekov stated that Elena Khakhaleva was living in Tbilisi, and that investigative authorities were aware of this. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Krasnodar Krai opened a criminal case for fraud and money laundering related to the former judge's disputed assets. According to investigators, Khakhaleva registered some of the property acquired through corruption in the name of Bekmarz Tatarashvili and his mother, Luiza Tatarashvili, Kommersant reported on June 1. Krasnodar Prosecutor Andrei Kiriyenko stated that the case was based on "information regarding fraudulent actions by several individuals involving land plots and real estate" on Moskovskaya Street in Krasnodar. He did not confirm the details of the properties or their ownership or provide further details. A lawyer for the Tatarashvili family reported that searches have been conducted at the homes of his clients in this case. According to the defense, the disputed properties were acquired in good faith by his clients from the Khakhaleva family using funds from Luiza's husband, Ali Tatarashvili. The Tatarashvili family is a defendant in the Prosecutor General's Office's lawsuit seeking the confiscation of Khakhaleva's property. "They don't recognize the Prosecutor General's Office's claims," TASS quoted the lawyer as saying. The civil case regarding the seizure of Khakhaleva and her relatives' assets by the state has been postponed until June 5.
The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation filed a lawsuit with the Tverskoy Court of Moscow regarding the seizure of the property of judges Olga Borisova and Olga Bogatykh of the Fourth Cassation Court in Krasnodar.