Prosecution, Lawyers Challenge Sentence for Volgograd Water Engineer in Blast
Today, February 2, the Krasnoarmeysky District Court in Volgograd issued a sentence for former chief engineer of «Water Supply Concessions» Dmitry Lebedev, accused in the explosion at a sewer pumping station and the death of six company employees. The court found Dmitry Lebedev guilty but did not impose imprisonment, limiting the punishment to forced labor for a term much shorter than what the prosecution demanded. However, this sentence satisfied neither the prosecution nor the lawyers, who insisted on his full acquittal.
Recall that on the night of July 5, 2024, at Sewer Pumping Station (SPS) No. 4 in the Krasnoarmeysky district, an electric motor burned out, and employees of the Emergency Ministry recorded carbon dioxide levels 58 times above normal and hydrogen sulfide 8 times above normal. With the help of an additional fan installed in the room, the concentration of dangerous gas was reduced. But on that day, foreman Mikhail Kurakin died at the station. The next day, chief engineer of LLC «Water Supply Concessions» Dmitry Lebedev ordered the installation of an additional exhaust system at the sewer pumping station, which was delivered and installed by the shift supervisor, an electric gas welder, and three repair mechanics. During the work on July 6, an explosion occurred at the station, destroying the SPS-4 building. Five people died as a result of the explosion.
By the court«s decision, Dmitry Lebedev was found guilty of violating labor safety requirements, which through negligence caused the death of a victim, and violating safety rules during construction work, which through negligence caused the death of two or more persons. The judge sentenced him to 3.5 years of forced labor with 10% of his salary deducted for the state and an additional punishment of 2.5 years deprivation of the right to hold certain types of positions.
The issued decision did not satisfy the defense, which insists on an acquittal. Especially since Mr. Lebedev categorically did not admit his guilt.
— We do not agree with this sentence, — said lawyer Anna Lisitskaya. — We will file an appeal, despite the fact that the assigned punishment fundamentally differs from what was requested by the prosecutor. We still disagree with the charges and consider our client innocent.
According to the defense, during the preliminary investigation it was established that responsibility for the explosion at SPS-4 lies with several employees and managers of «Concessions». However, according to representatives of the convicted, the prosecutor stubbornly ignored this fact and only the chief engineer reached the court.
Moreover, the defense continues to insist that it was the dump of hundreds of tons of petroleum products into wastewater that led to the formation of an explosive gas-air mixture. How they got into the reservoir of the sewer pumping station has still not been established. And the investigation, according to lawyers, stubbornly pretends that the dumps of petroleum products into the sewer had no relation to the tragedy. The main theses of the defense of the chief engineer of «Concessions», accused of the death of six people and the explosion at SPS-4 in Volgograd, we published in a separate material.
In turn, deputy prosecutor of the district Darya Lebedeva, who represented the prosecution and the point of view of the investigation, insisted that her namesake is responsible for the explosion. And he acted, according to her version, «creating the appearance of efficiency in his work» before the leadership of «Concessions».
The investigation assured that there is no connection between the presence of petroleum products and the death of workers as a result of poisoning by poisonous substances and the explosion that occurred. According to the prosecution, the tragedy occurred due to a malfunction of the ventilation system, which caused the accumulation of a gas-air mixture with exceedances of the maximum permissible concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, methane, toxic and explosive gases at the station, and the alarm for exceeding dangerous gas levels and emergency ventilation in the SPS building were absent. These, like other main theses of the speech of the state prosecutor, deputy prosecutor of the Krasnoarmeysky district of Volgograd Darya Lebedeva, we also listed in a separate material.
— It has been established that Lebedev did not ensure the proper operation of the supply and exhaust ventilation in the receiving department of sewer pumping station No. 4, as a result of which a toxic and explosive gas-air mixture of sewer gases formed, — insisted the prosecutor«s office of the Volgograd region.
As a result, the prosecutor«s office has already called the sentence given to Dmitry Lebedev excessively lenient.
— As the sentence is received by the prosecutor«s office, the issue of its appeal due to the leniency of the assigned punishment will be decided, — reported the prosecutor»s office. At the same time, for the announcement of the sentence today, February 2, in the Krasnoarmeysky District Court of Volgograd, the representative of the state prosecution did not even come.
