The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has dropped the murder charges against businessman Traber in connection with the killing of a St. Petersburg entrepreneur
Russia’s Investigative Committee has dropped charges against St. Petersburg businessman Ilya Traber in connection with the 2020 murder of entrepreneur Alexander Petrov. According to Fontanka, the investigation concluded that Traber had no involvement in the crime, after which he was granted the right to rehabilitation and compensation for damages resulting from his unlawful detention.
FSB officers detained the 75-year-old Traber on June 17 in connection with the murder of Petrov, whom he was considered to be his business partner and right-hand man. Along with the businessman, his longtime partner, Vladimir Danilenko, was also detained.
A few days before the charges were dropped, Traber was released from the Lefortovo pretrial detention center in Moscow due to a sharp deterioration in his health. He then traveled to St. Petersburg, where, according to the publication, he held a series of meetings with government and business officials.
Following his detention, Traber also stepped down as a founder of several companies, including “Primorsky UPK”—one of Russia’s major new port complexes.
Traber is considered one of St. Petersburg’s most influential entrepreneurs. In the 1990s, he controlled the St. Petersburg port, an oil terminal, and a number of fuel companies. While working at the St. Petersburg City Hall, Vladimir Putin assisted Traber’s business ventures.
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, had previously confirmed Putin’s acquaintance with the businessman, stating that their relationship was strictly professional. At the same time, Traber was a guest of honor at Putin’s birthday celebrations in at least 2004 and 2016.
The Spanish prosecutor’s office had previously identified Traber as one of the leaders of the Tambov organized crime group. The businessman himself denied these allegations. Prior to his arrest, his business consisted of a large infrastructure and port group that included maritime terminals, logistics and service companies, as well as land assets on the Baltic coast.
It was previously reported why Ilya Traber, a criminal figure close to Putin, was arrested.
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