Court Returned Fonbet’s Lawsuit Against Sergey Anokhin for 100 Million Rubles
The Arbitration Court of Moscow returned the lawsuit filed by the bookmaker company Fonbet against former CEO Sergey Anokhin, who sought protection of his business reputation and compensation of 100 million rubles.
The reason for the return of the lawsuit was procedural errors that were not corrected within the specified time frame. Let’s review the key points and reasons why the court rejected the lawsuit.
Reasons for Returning the Lawsuit
The court pointed out several significant shortcomings in the submitted statement. Among them:
- Failure to specify the method of distributing the disputed information. The lawsuit did not include a clear description of how Anokhin disseminated the information that, according to Fonbet, harmed the company’s reputation.
- Unclear nature of the compensation. The lawsuit did not clarify whether the claim was for compensation for damages the company incurred due to damage to its reputation or for non-material harm.
- Failure to provide evidence of document delivery to Anokhin. No proof was provided that copies of the lawsuit had been sent to Anokhin.
Due to these violations, the court left the lawsuit without action, and after Fonbet failed to correct the errors within the specified period, it was returned.
The Story of Anokhin’s Case
Sergey Anokhin served as CEO of Fonbet from April 2022 until January 2025. Prior to that, from 2013 to 2022, he held important positions in the Russian Football Union (RFS), including Vice President and Executive Committee member. According to the company, Anokhin left Fonbet to focus on new business ideas in esports and mass football.
However, his business career is marred by a criminal case related to bribery. Anokhin was arrested in connection with an attempt to give a bribe of 60 million rubles to conceal compromising material related to his activities in the RFS. He is cooperating with the investigation, and all other defendants in the case have pleaded guilty.
Criminal Case and Anokhin’s Arrest
Anokhin has been charged under the article of giving a bribe in an especially large amount (part 5 of article 291 of the Russian Criminal Code). He attempted to pass the bribe through intermediaries to one of the law enforcement officers in order to avoid responsibility for embezzling budget funds during his time at the RFS. The crime took place within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where Anokhin attempted to negotiate through intermediaries.
During the investigation, it was established that Anokhin, working with the Deputy Head of the Internal Affairs Department for the VАО district of Moscow and a private detective, tried to arrange the bribe transfer. As a result of the operation, law enforcement officers detained the entire group of intermediaries, as well as Anokhin himself. The legal proceedings are ongoing, and according to reports, Anokhin is actively cooperating with the investigation.
Conclusions
The return of Fonbet’s lawsuit to the arbitration court, along with Sergey Anokhin’s arrest in the criminal case, highlights the challenges in the business and personal life of the former top manager. Soon, it will become clear how the situation involving his legal matters will develop and whether he will be able to restore his reputation in the business world.
Thus, the case against Anokhin continues to attract attention, and despite the formal legal errors, Fonbet may need to reconsider its further actions in the legal proceedings.