A well-known showman from Khabarovsk was fined 2 million rubles for acting as a bribe broker.

Together with the presenter of the Gubernia TV channel Ivan Zasukhin The case involves a former police officer—both were involved in a bribe chain involving 2 million rubles.

As reported by the Investigative Committee Khabarovsky the edgesIn 2024, a friend approached Zasukhin and asked for help in stopping the criminal prosecution against him. According to local Telegram channels, the case involved "unauthorized abandonment of the unit."

The showman decided to help his friend through his connections and contacted a former police officer he knew. The plan was simple: transfer 2 million rubles to supposedly "the right people." However, the scheme failed at two stages: the police officer realized he couldn't reach an agreement with anyone, so he planned to simply keep the money for himself. The owner of the millions also sensed something was wrong and promptly contacted the FSB. 

At that time, Zasukhin took the money from his friend, but did not have time to deliver it to the police officer—he was detained.

The day before, Zasukhin was sentenced to a fine of 2 million rubles, and the former police officer received a four-year prison sentence. Ivan is known to have two dependent children, and literally the day after the verdict, he had another child. 

The management of the Gubernia media holding has already terminated his employment contracts. Despite appearing in New Year's announcements, Zasukhin will no longer appear on air.

Notably, the Khabarovsk Krai Prosecutor's Office considers Zasukhin's sentence too lenient. The state prosecutor intends to appeal the decision and seek a prison sentence for the entertainer instead of a fine.