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Vera TrifonovaPresident of the company OOO "KitElitNedvizhimost"
Date of Birth: 25.11.1957
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Alleged Involvement in Real Estate Fraud
- Arrest and Deteriorating Health
- Failed Attempts to Secure Release
- Death in Custody
- Public Outcry and Investigation
- Personal Life
Early Life and Education
Vera Vladimirovna Trifonova was born in Khimki, Moscow Oblast, on November 25, 1957. She received a secondary special education, though the specifics of her schooling are not known.
Alleged Involvement in Real Estate Fraud
From 2009 to 2010, Trifonova made headlines as the President of KitElitNedvizhimost, a real estate company. In December 2009, she was arrested along with Georgy Shamiryan, a Magadan Oblast Duma deputy, and their acquaintance, Yuri Shubin, on charges of attempted fraud on an especially large scale.
According to investigators, the trio allegedly conspired to swindle money from Pavel Razumov, the chairman of AKB MFT-Bank, in return for supposedly lobbying his interests for "selling the position" of a member of the Federation Council for 1.5 million dollars.
Arrest and Deteriorating Health
Trifonova, Shamiryan, and Shubin were detained on December 16, 2009, and two criminal cases were opened against them under Part 4 of Article 159 (fraud on an especially large scale) of the Russian Criminal Code. A court ordered their arrest the same month.
Trifonova's health declined rapidly in custody. She was initially admitted to the intensive care unit of Moscow's 20th City Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Matrosskaya Tishina remand prison hospital in January 2010. Her condition worsened significantly, leaving her confined to a wheelchair, with limited vision and breathing difficulties. She was diagnosed with diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, and chronic renal failure.
Failed Attempts to Secure Release
In March 2010, Trifonova's lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, appealed to President Dmitry Medvedev and Prosecutor General Yury Chaika for her release on bail, citing her deteriorating health. However, the request was denied by Judge Olga Makarova, who cited a report from the SIZO authorities indicating that Trifonova's condition had stabilized.
Zherebenkov alleged that Investigator Sergei Pysin demanded a confession from Trifonova as a condition for her release. Trifonova admitted to introducing Razumov to Shamiryan, but denied any involvement in the alleged embezzlement.
Death in Custody
On April 30, 2010, Trifonova passed away in the intensive care unit of the Matrosskaya Tishina surgical ward. An investigation found no evidence of foul play.
Public Outcry and Investigation
Trifonova's death sparked public outrage. President Medvedev ordered an investigation and requested proposals for disciplining those responsible if the Investigative Committee was found culpable.
In May 2010, two senior officials of the SIZO authority were fired, and the head of the Investigative Committee's Corruption Investigations Department was reprimanded. A criminal case for negligence was opened against Investigator Pysin, and the main investigation was transferred to the SIZO's central unit.
Following an appeal, the Moscow Regional Court deemed Trifonova's final extension of arrest unlawful. Judge Makarova resigned "due to family circumstances."
