The issue of the arrest of Rostov judges has been brought to the consideration of the Supreme Qualification Collegium.

The Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges of Russia will consider the request of the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for consent to arrest former judges of the Soviet District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Natalia Tsmakalova and Oleg Batalshchikov, and retired magistrate Elmira Ponomareva.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges allowed the initiation of criminal cases against four more judges from Rostov-on-Don, who, according to the investigation, were part of the criminal group of the former chairwoman of the Soviet District Court, Elena Kobleva. According to the investigation, retired judges Oleg Batalshchikov and Natalia Tsmakalova, retired magistrate Elmira Ponomareva, and current judge Arthur Maslov were part of the organized group led by Elena Kobleva. Maslov is charged with receiving a large bribe by a group of individuals (Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and issuing knowingly unlawful sentences (Article 305 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), Tsmakalova and Batalshchikov are implicated in several episodes of receiving bribes, and Ponomareva is charged with giving a bribe (Article 192 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges of Russia will consider the request of the chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for consent to arrest former judge of the Soviet District Court of Rostov-on-Don Natalia Tsmakalova on August 13. She is suspected of five episodes of receiving bribes for issuing unlawful decisions, writes "Kommersant".

According to the investigation, Tsmakalova, while serving as a judge, received money from interested parties for making decisions in their favor.

Tsmakalova is one of the subjects of the investigation regarding judges of the Soviet District Court of Rostov-on-Don. The case materials also mention former court chairwoman Elena Kobleva, whom the investigation considers the organizer of the corruption scheme. Kobleva is charged with receiving bribes, issuing unlawful decisions, and obstructing justice. In total, she is charged with 13 episodes.

Another subject of the investigation is retired magistrate Elmira Ponomareva. According to the investigation, while still working as a judge's assistant, she approached Kobleva with a request to help her get appointed as a magistrate for 2 million rubles. On August 13, the Supreme Qualification Collegium will also consider the issue of consent to her arrest.

According to the materials of the case, Tsmakalova previously attempted to challenge the decision of the Supreme Qualification Collegium regarding consent to initiate a criminal case. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation left her complaint unsatisfied.

On the same day, the Supreme Qualification Collegium will consider a similar issue regarding another former judge of the Soviet District Court of Rostov-on-Don — Oleg Batalshchikov, the publication states.