Russian allowed to sell car stolen from Belarusian

The “Audi-80” belonging to a Minsker Pyotr Malets was found in Nizhni Novgorod Region and delivered to a penalty car park. However, Russian policemen helped to sell the car while the criminal case was being investigated.
The car of a builder Pyotr Malets was stolen in October 2003. The Belarusian had not even driven it for a month. There was the default car alarm installed in the car at the moment because the owner had not managed to buy a new one as the family had spend all their savings on the car – 5600 USD.

“The car was parked near the “Diamond” hotel in Herasimenka Street, - Natallya, Pyotr Malets’ wife, describes the theft. – My husband went there to help his colleague register in the hotel. The procedure took 10 minutes. He went out of the hotel – and the car was gone. An operation “Intercept” was started but it didn’t help”.

All of a sudden, the Audi-80 was found in Nizhni Novgorod Region 15 months later. Russian policemen confiscated it from an inhabitant of Navyshino Sergei Akimov who was trying to register it. The number of the engine had been changed. The car was delivred to a penalty car park and all the documents were confiscated from the new owner. Akimov told policemen that he had bought the car in Lyubertsy Market in Moscow.

The happy Maletses were informed that their car was in an excellent condition, however, the Russian side was taking its time returning the car to the family. It was necessary to receive a so-called international permission sent by employees of Minsk Zavodski District Department of the Interior. However, the permission did not reach the Russian Ministry of Justice for some reason and another one had to be sent.

Meanwhile, employees of Kovenski District Department of the Interior of Nizhni Novgorod dealing with the Belarusian car decided to charge the new owner Sergei Akimov with storing the car… and nobody had seen the Audi-80 since then.

“It turned out that the new owner Akimov had sold the car to strangers, - says Natallya. – Here is the copy of the document proving that he was charged with storing the car and was obliged to return it on demand of the department of the interior”.


Sergei Akimov had to be imprisoned for having sold the car he had been charged to take care of. However, the note proving that he had been warned about criminal responsibility for selling the car is missing from the case. Thus, the car was not returned to Belarus.

“That was it, the investigation stopped, - continues Natallya. – Our investigators said that if they found the thieves they would be imprisoned and money would be deducted from their wages. However, they have not been found so far”.

The policemen who helped Akimov sell the Audi-80 were not subjected to responsibility either.


Employees of Minsk Zavodski District Department of the Interior informed that they could not exercise influence on their Russian colleagues. The administration of the main department of the interior of Nizhni Novgorod Region refuses to talk to journalists. Akimov's phone number is restricted from the reference service.

Thus, the Belarusian family has not been able to get their Audi-80 back for 6 years.