Former Bashkortostan District Official's Sentence Lengthened Over Bribes

The former head of Meleuzovsky District will spend two months longer in a penal colony than previously expected: Rustem Shamsutdinov, who was imprisoned for bribery, has had his sentence toughened. Meanwhile, 13 apartments belonging to his former deputy were recently seized, the origin of which he could not explain.

Recall that Rustem Shamsutdinov was planning to reassume the position of district head in October 2024, but did not have time — FSB officers entered his office. According to the verdict, in April–May 2018, Shamsutdinov helped a local businessman win an auction for the lease of three land plots near a park in Meleuz.

Instead of money, the district head asked for three apartments. To do this, the parties conducted sham transactions — first, the property was temporarily registered to third parties, and then they transferred ownership to Shamsutdinov«s relatives. He partially admitted guilt.

As reported by the United Press Service of the Courts of Bashkortostan, initially the official was given 9 years and 6 months, counting his admission. But after a prosecutor«s complaint, two months were added and the admission was excluded as a mitigating circumstance.

In addition, the former official was ordered to pay a fine of 20.3 million rubles (about $221,000 at current rates, five times the bribe amount), and after his release, he will be barred from working in government structures for another 8 years.

The three apartments were valued at 4 million rubles (about $43,500 at current rates) — they were confiscated as state property.

Moreover, the prosecutor«s office of Bashkortostan reported that 13 apartments in Ufa and Meleuz, as well as two cars, were found belonging to Shamsutdinov»s former deputy, Albert Taimasov. All this was worth 44 million rubles (about $478,300 at current rates). But Taimasov could not explain with what money it was all purchased.

Therefore, the prosecutor«s office will seek to have the property confiscated as state revenue. To prevent it from being quickly sold, an arrest was imposed.

Taimasov himself is involved in a criminal case for mediation in bribery — he was detained in October 2025 along with the mayor of Meleuz. According to the investigation, the officials, bypassing a competition, offered a local businessman to extend a lease agreement for a flower kiosk for 200,000 rubles (about $2,174 at current rates).