Arslan Elsaliyev, owner of Funeral Home No. 1, and his wife, Elena, have been remanded in custody by the Oktyabrsky District Court on June 11th. They are accused of bribing officials at the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination in Toksovo.

The investigation alleges that the Elsaliyevs offered bribes to the deputy director of the bureau. This was done to ensure that the bureau’s management would allocate state premises to the ritual company Lotos (now known as Vertikal), and to influence employees to prioritize certain bodies for examination based on the entrepreneurs’ requests. The bribes were also intended to secure general favoritism and assistance from the bureau.

The couple’s actions are classified as a crime under Part 4 of Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to bribery on a large scale by prior conspiracy.

On the same day, June 11th, the former deputy director of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination in Toksovo was also sent to a pre-trial detention center. She is accused of accepting bribes totaling at least 195,000 rubles.