Ex-Lokomotiv Chief Lipatov Admits Guilt in Contract Killing Case

Russia - Ekhbary News Agency

Sergey Lipatov, the former chairman of the board of directors for Russian football club Lokomotiv Moscow, has fully admitted his guilt in a contract killing case. According to prosecutors, Lipatov paid a sum of $200,000 for the assassination of Alexander Fominov, an advisor to the head of the Russian Ministry of Transport, in 2002. This development unfolds in a case that has captured public attention, particularly as Lipatov held his prominent position at the club from 2002 to 2010.

The details of the case reveal Lipatov's alleged collaboration with an organized criminal network, which reportedly carried out assassinations on his behalf. Charges have been brought against Alexei Chebotarev, a former Interior Ministry employee, Pavel Khristev, a former serviceman, Leonid Ragone, a former employee of the RUOP's 5th Department (Organized Crime Control), and an individual named Oleg Mikhalev. Investigators believe these individuals received money from Lipatov to execute the murder of Fominov.

The murder occurred in 2002 when Fominov was shot while returning to his country house in the "Agrarnik" dacha cooperative in the Odintsovsky district of the Moscow region. The perpetrators fled the scene. Investigators suggest the motive behind the murder was twofold, stemming from personal animosity and a desire to resolve a commercial issue. Lipatov explicitly stated his full confession in court, paving the way for the legal proceedings to conclude in this case, which sheds light on the darker aspects of business and personal relationships in Russia.

This case is considered one of the most prominent involving high-profile figures in Russian sports, raising questions about oversight and accountability within the sports community. The court is expected to deliver its final verdict after all necessary procedures are completed, taking into account the explicit confession of the main defendant.

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