Alexey Rizhkin, a Senior Associate with the Firm’s White Collar Crime team, successfully defended Vodokanal’s management in a criminal case opened on 23 April 2010 under article 247 part 2 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code, relating to the illegal discharge of oil products from Izhorskiye Zavody and pollution of the Izhora and Neva rivers.
The Firm represented Alexey Samusenko, Deputy Executive Director at Vodokanal, during preliminary investigations and at the trial, which began in January 2012.
Following an application from Alexey Rizhkin, the Client’s lawyer, the court ordered a thorough investigation. Evidence was also presented disproving allegations by the prosecutor and investigators that Vodokanal was involved in the discharge of oil products from one of the company’s collectors.
On 27 December 2012, St. Petersburg’s Kolpino District Court delivered a verdict of not guilty for Vodokanal’s Deputy Executive Director, on the grounds of lack of evidence.