Natalya Pozhidaeva, a former employee of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination in Toksovo, has been placed in pre-trial detention for allegedly accepting bribes totaling at least 195,000 rubles from the Lotos funeral company. The St. Petersburg Courts United Press Service reported the detention on June 11.

Pozhidaeva is accused of receiving the bribes in exchange for preferential treatment of Lotos LLC, including directing subordinates to prioritize the company’s cases regarding body examinations.

The case originated from an investigation into the close, and potentially illegal, relationship between the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination and Lotos LLC. Investigators allege that Lotos unjustly received premises within the Toksovo Interdistrict Hospital, where the morgue is located.

Pozhidaeva’s actions are being prosecuted under Part 5 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which addresses bribery by an official in a large amount for illegal actions, committed by a group of individuals in a prior conspiracy. She was formally charged on June 10.

The Oktyabrsky District Court is also considering petitions from the Investigative Committee to arrest Arslan Elsaliev, the owner of Funeral Home No. 1, and his wife, Elena Elsalieva, for allegedly bribing Pozhidaeva to ensure the smooth operation of their funeral business on the Bureau’s premises.

An additional case has been opened under Article 285 of the Criminal Code, focusing on abuse of official authority. Following searches related to this case, Elena Elsalieva and Sergey Belov, the director of Lotos LLC (now Vertikal LLC), were questioned.

Pozhidaeva was reportedly dismissed from the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination in the summer of 2024, amid a scandal involving a warehouse of unclaimed bodies accumulating at the Toksovo morgue since 2019. Notably, she had previously worked as a lawyer for Lotos in the 2010s.

Earlier, a case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code, addressing negligence resulting in the violation of citizens’ rights. In January, a morgue orderly from Toksovo was detained for allegedly assisting in locating apartments of deceased individuals with no known relatives.