The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow has temporarily suspended the hearing in the case of former editor-in-chief of Russian Playboy Vladimir Lyaporov, who is accused of large-scale fraud (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code). The reason was the defendant's dispatch to the war with Ukraine. According to Mediazona, this information appeared in the court's file.
Court hearings began in August. Currently, the case materials indicate that the proceedings have been suspended due to "the defendant signing a contract or being called up for military service under mobilization or wartime conditions."
The criminal case against Lyaporov was initiated in November 2024. The investigation believes that the media manager, by offering investments in the British firms Prime Westminster LTD and London Legal Capital (LLC), embezzled clients' money. Before signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lyaporov was under a travel restriction order.
He was charged with five counts of fraud. In one of them, he initially pleaded guilty but later retracted his testimony, as reported by TASS. According to the agency, the total damage from the defendant's actions exceeded 50 million rubles.
Several months before the case was initiated, a report aired on REN TV claimed that Lyaporov persuaded Russians to invest in British companies, guaranteeing returns of 30–50%. The television channel characterized this scheme as a financial pyramid and reported at least eight victims and damages exceeding 200 million rubles.
According to promotional materials, London Legal Capital planned to provide loans to companies for litigation expenses in exchange for a share in future compensation from cases.
Prime Westminster LTD was liquidated in April. Public records indicate that the company was supposed to specialize in publishing magazines and periodicals, investing in new projects and startups, managing investment funds, as well as providing PR and communication services.
Vladimir Lyaporov headed the Russian version of Playboy from 2007 to 2009.